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Foreign Workers Walking Around With COVID-19 Bracelets?

Dr. Adrian Wong
Foreign Workers Walking Around With COVID-19 Bracelets?

Two photos showing foreign workers walking around freely, while wearing pink COVID-19 bracelets have gone viral!

Take a look at those viral photos, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Fact Check : Foreign Workers With Pink COVID-19 Bracelets?

These two photos showing foreign workers walking around freely, while wearing pink COVID-19 bracelets have gone viral!

These pink bracelets are used to tag those who must quarantine themselves, so many netizens have condemned these foreign workers for putting everyone at risk.

 

Foreign Workers With Pink COVID-19 Bracelets : The Truth

After the pictures went viral, the Malaysia Director-General of Health, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, posted a statement.

He confirmed that they were indeed wearing pink COVID-19 bracelets, but they were NOT contravening rules, or putting anyone at risk.

Fact #1 : They Are Allowed To Freely Move Within The Construction Site

273 construction workers were screened as part of a workplace surveillance program.

264 were issued these pink COVID-19 bracelets, because they are foreigners who lived at the construction site.

They were allowed to move freely within the construction site, just not allowed to leave. This was because they were undergoing a surveillance screening program, not a close contact screening program.

Two security guards were stationed at the entrance, and police officers from the Wangsa Maju police department would check in every day.

The developer also stopped work from 13 November until 15 November to facilitate cleaning and disinfection of the construction site, while waiting for their test results to be released on 15 November 2020.

Fact #2 : Only One Worker Tested Positive

The surveillance program detected one COVID-19 positive case, but it was a worker who lived outside the construction site.

Eight other workers were determined to be his close contacts, and ordered to quarantine from 7 November until 20 November.

Fact #3 : The Rest Were Released On 15 November 2020

The other workers tested negative and were issued a release order on 15 November 2020, and had their pink COVID-19 bracelets removed.

Therefore, by the time the pictures went viral, they had already tested negative for COVID-19, and released from their site quarantine.

 

COVID-19 Quarantine Bracelet : What Is It?

The Malaysia Ministry of Health mandates that those who are under quarantine must wear a COVID-19 quarantine bracelet.

Those under quarantine are not just those who came back from overseas. They can include those who had close contact with COVID-19 patients, or are in EMCO areas.

The bracelet will state the place and date of testing. The individual wearing it cannot remove the bracelet, and must stay at home until the quarantine period is over.

The only exception is if they are the head of the household and need to go out to purchase essential supplies. However, this is only if the other adults in the family are also under quarantine.

Despite the perception that COVID-19 quarantine uses pink bracelets, they come in five colours – red, pink, blue, whiteand yellow.

The colour of the bracelet depends on the stock available to a particular District Health Office.


The bracelet can only be cut by authorised officers at the District Health Office, after the wearers have completed their quarantine.

The Malaysia Ministry of Health has called for the public to report those who are seen in public with these quarantine bracelets.

However, the public should not name and shame them online, and just report them to the police, as they may have legitimate reasons to be out, like getting an antibody test.

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