JOHOR BAHRU, March 5 (Bernama) — The Johor State Health Department (JKNJ) today denied claims of a COVID-19 infection case in Bandar Seri Alam, here as viraled on Facebook.
JKNJ director Dr Aman Rabu in a statement uploaded on JKNJ official Facebook said a statement alleging that a contact of a COVID-19 patient has been ordered to be on home surveillance had been making its rounds on social media.
“The news is not true and members of the public are advised not to spread the unverified statement as it could cause panic among the people,” Dr Aman said.
According to him, in the management of the COVID-19 infection, if a person is in close contact with a patient but has no symptoms, this is categorised as a contact and not a patient, and the person must be put under home surveillance in accordance with Section 15 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).
He said those spreading such fake news could face action under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (AKM) 1998, which provides for a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both, and fined another RM1,000 for each subsequent offence committed after conviction.
Earlier, in a message shared via Facebook, an individual claimed that a COVID-19 case was detected in Bandar Seri Alam and has been ordered to be on home surveillance.
— BERNAMA