Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad and Tourism Minister Datuk Mohammadin Ketapi chair a special meeting and briefing session in Putrajaya January 28, 2020. ― Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — Health authorities have stepped up precautions against the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by quarantining arriving ships from China, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Health officials have already set up screening points at all 64 international entry points encompassing land, air and sea routes.

Dzulkefly said such measures were necessary to control the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus.

“At the ports, all ships from China will be given quarantine status until MOH members carry out inspections on ships.

“The loading and unloading activities of the crew and passengers will be allowed if the inspection finds that all passengers and crew are healthy and that the [ship] sanitation certificates are still valid,’’ he said.

To further contain the spread of the 2019-nCoV, Dzulkefly said that additional screenings have been implemented at all of Malaysia’s international airports.

“The airport health office has partnered with Malaysia Airport Berhad and the Malaysian Aviation Authority to divert all aircraft from China to gates that have been identified to prevent Chinese passengers and passengers from other destinations from mixing.

He said this was for fever scanning to detect those possibly infected, which will be directed to a special route designated for individuals suspected of exposure to the coronavirus.

As of noon today, 65 cases have been investigated since January 10, with 43 cases involving locals, 30 of Chinese nationals and one Jordanian

The number of confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV in Malaysia remains at four.