Thursday, May 21, 2009

AirAsia AK5358 passengers to be quarantined

18 May 2009

KUALA LUMPUR – All 102 passengers on AirAsia Flight AK5358 from the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang to Penang last Wednesday have been ordered to undergo home quarantine.

Deputy health-director-general Datuk Dr Ramlee Rahmat Health said authorities nationwide have been ordered to ensure that the affected travellers stay at home.

The five crew members on the flight have already been isolated, he added.

Passengers with any flu symptoms must get to the nearest hospital immediately, Dr Ramlee Rahmat said at a press briefing yesterday.

The country’s second A (H1N1) flu case, a 21-year-old female Malaysian student who had flown in from the United States, was on AK5358. She boarded the AirAsia flight about four hours after arriving at KLIA at last Wednesday aboard MH091 from Newark Airport, New Jersey, via Stockholm.

Dr Ramlee said passengers could contact the ministry at 03-8881-0200 or 03-8881-0300 or the health department for assistance and monitoring during the quarantine.

Malaysia’s first A (H1N1) case, a 21-year-old man, was also on Flight MH091.

Both are recovering and their seven-day quarantine will end on Wednesday.

On the other 117 passengers on MH091 who disembarked at KLIA, Dr Ramlee said the ministry had put 95– 80 Malaysians and 15 foreigners – under home quarantine. The 15 crew members are also under home quarantine.

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