Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says spraying an individual with chemicals for 30 seconds isn’t long enough to effectively disinfect a person.

“The process will not kill the virus in one’s body,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya.

Noor Hisham also said the chemicals used in such equipment can be harmful to one’s eyes and mouth.

He said the ministry had received several applications to approve such equipment to contain the outbreak.

The ministry, he said, reviewed several models that were available and used in other countries.

“From our assessment, there is no proof that these equipment are effective in reducing the spread of Covid-19.”

Earlier today, Dr Jemilah Mahmood, the special adviser to the prime minister, told Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to halt plans to mass-produce disinfection chambers.

In a tweet, she said it went against the recommendations and guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Stop this before you hurt and harm anyone.”

Earlier this month, Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) received 120 orders for disinfectant tunnels from various parties.

It was also reported that Selangor police had appealed to the state government for assistance to instal sanitising tunnels to protect policemen enforcing the movement control order (MCO).

Police in Sabah are also setting up disinfection tunnels at various district headquarters (IPDs) as well as at the contingent headquarters (IPK).

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