PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will look into three pertinent factors before coming to a decision on whether to extend the ongoing Movement Control Order (MCO) or not following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Apart from the virulence level, the ministry would also take into consideration the infectivity rate and economic consequences brought about by the pandemic.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said these factors were also taken into consideration by the World Health Organisation (WHO) before declaring Covid-19 as a public health emergency of international concern.
On the home front, Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia's fatality rate is still low compared to other countries.
“As for the infectivity rate, currently there are 2,115 active cases which have the potential to infect other people if they are out within the community.
“That is the reason why we have to admit them at the hospitals irrespective of whether they are asymptomatic or only developing mild symptoms related to Covid-19.
“This will enable the ministry to observe and provide the necessary treatment,” he told a daily press briefing, here, today.
The ministry, he said, is also looking into allowing businesses from certain sectors - apart from the essential services allowed to operate during the first and second phase of the MCO - to resume their operations in stages.
If these businesses were allowed to operate, Dr Noor Hisham said they must adhere to the stringent guidelines introduced by the ministry.
“If they are allowed to operate, every industry must adhere to our guidelines such as avoiding public gatherings, adopting social distancing as well as implementing high cleanliness precautionary measures,” he said.
The ministry, however, will also study the locations of the businesses before granting approval for them to resume operations.
“We need to look into the priority areas and screen these areas first.
“The ministry will also work closely with other ministries and agencies to ensure that factories and businesses can comply with our regulations,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham said although the Covid-19 situation appears to be under control in Malaysia, he reiterated that the fight is not over yet and that all quarters including the government and the public should not be complacent.
“We need to look into scientific evidence and facts before deciding to extend the MCO or otherwise. We are doing well if we can reduce the new cases to double or single digits. However, we should not be complacent.
“Life will not be the same again after the MCO. We need to comply with certain health regulations and precautions,” he said.