KUALA LUMPUR – The organiser of Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) 2024, the National Sports Council (NSC), is taking precautions against the mpox (monkeypox) outbreak as it prepares for the arrival of international cyclists ahead of the race, scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 6.
NSC director-general Abdul Rashid Yaakub explained that they are taking the matter seriously and will await any guidelines issued by the Health Ministry (MoH) to manage the outbreak if any cyclists are affected.
A total of 22 teams will compete in this year’s race, with around 131 cyclists vying for the four main jerseys which are the red polka dot jersey for the King of the Mountains, orange jersey for the Sprint King, white jersey for the best Asian rider, and the ultimate, green jersey for the overall leader of LTdL.
“For local cyclists, there’s no need for additional testing. However, for those coming from abroad, we will follow any requirements MoH sets regarding testing. We have health officials on hand to monitor the situation. If there are symptoms or concerns, we will take appropriate action.
“So far, we haven’t imposed any testing measures, unless mandated by health authorities. We aim to avoid creating obstacles for teams and participants.
“If the ministry introduces specific regulations, we will comply, but currently, no such requirements are in place,” said Rashid in a press conference today at Bukit Jalil.
According to MoH, the government conducted mpox screening tests on 1.8 million travellers at all entry points into the country from August 16 to 22.
As of today, Malaysia has reported 31 suspected cases of mpox. Of these, 25 have been confirmed as negative, while six remain under observation.
Currently, Malaysia has nine confirmed cases of mpox, with the first case reported on July 26 last year, and the most recent in November of the same year.
On August 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency of international concern. – August 26, 2024