Why the indelible ink on Pulau Gaya folks
Published on: Thursday, April 09, 2020
By: Sherell Jeffrey
Covid-19 control and preventive exercise carried out by the State Health Department at Pulau Gaya.
Kota Kinabalu: Pulau Gaya residents who have had their health screened during the Covid-19 control and preventive exercise carried out on the island, recently, will have their fingers marked with indelible ink.“The ink-marked finger means they have undergone screening by the Ministry of Health,” said Pulau Gaya and Pulau Sepanggar Pemaju Mukim, Hanafiah Abdul Hassim, when contacted by Daily Express, Wednesday.ADVERTISEMENT
The resident said it was similar to what was done during the previous screening for polio.
“It shows that the islanders have been screened and that they don’t have to go to the hospital to get screened because screening has been done by a health official who came to the island,” he explained.
He also furnished several photos of the health team carrying out the health screening exercise on the island.
There has been public misconception regarding the islanders’ ink-marked fingers, with some thinking that the markings indicated that they (islanders) were Covid-19 positive.ADVERTISEMENT
It was recently reported that some 1,600 samples were collected by the State Health Department during a three-day Covid-19 control and prevention exercise on the island.
State Health Director, Datuk Dr Christina Rundi, was quoted as saying that 65.6 per cent of Pulau Gaya residents have undergone health screening.
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It was also reported that boat services to the island had been restricted to between 5pm and 7pm due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) to contain further spread of the Covid-19.
As of April 7, a total of 241 positive cases have been reported in Sabah, with one new case detected in Putatan.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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The island has about six villages, with an estimated 15,000 islanders where 80 per cent of the population are Bajaus and Suluks while the rest are of mixed parentage as some have married locals.
There are an estimated 1,500 houses on the island with one house having not less than 10 occupants on average.