Apec secretariat takes precautions for meetings
PUTRAJAYA: Stringent measures have been put in place to manage risks from the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) 2020’s 1st Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) and Related Meetings, which kicked off here yesterday.
The Apec 2020 National Secretariat said it was working with the Health Ministry and other authorities to ensure the safety of delegates and all parties involved in the series of meetings.
The secretariat said the safety and precautionary measures undertaken included providing liquid sanitisers at various locations at meeting venues and accommodations throughout SOM1 and Related Meetings, providing disposable surgical face masks for all delegates and working members of Apec 2020, providing noncontact thermometers to check body temperatures at all information counters and ensuring all delegates fill up the self-declaration form on arrival at the airports.
The secretariat said the authorities would also have in place medical centres at meeting venues; 24-hour on-call medical officers from the ministry for any medical needs; mobile clinics at side-event venues; as well as isolation rooms at meeting venues.
Other measures taken for the safety, health and wellbeing of delegates includes the placement of thermal body scanners upon arrival at KLIA and klia2.
Advocate health measures through video presentation would also be undertaken before every meeting as well as providing daily updates of the coronovirus status in Malaysia by the ministry to the Apec 2020 Secretariat, which would be communicated to delegates.
The secretariat said it would accommodate meeting through remote participation by Apec 2020 delegates unable to attend SOM1 in Malaysia.
The first SOM1 and related meetings started yesterday with 102 meetings, workshops, activities and field trips that will be organised by various ministries and agencies and will last until Feb 22.
The secretariat said more than 1,700 delegates from 21 economies had registered for the meetings.
Discussions in the meetings would be centred on setting the work plan for their respective committees and working groups, in progressing the shared prosperity agenda aligned with the Apec 2020 theme, it said.
“Officials and private sectors will be deliberating on issues that include business mobility, food security, sustainable development, Customs procedure, standards setting, health and intellectual property rights.”
Malaysia has chosen “Optimising Human Potential towards a Future of Shared Prosperity” as the theme for Apec 2020.