KUALA LUMPUR: The surge in daily Covid-19 cases in the country is due to activities that took place within the last two weeks and before the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Covid-19 cases detected involved those who were probably exposed to the virus when they moved around or due to gatherings at shopping malls or other public places.
"The increase in daily cases detected thus far was due to the activities conducted before the Hari Raya period. The ministry has yet to look into cases emerging from activities conducted (during and) after the Hari Raya period," he told a joint press conference with Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.
Dr Noor Hisham said it was imperative for the people to continue to adhere with the SOPs within the next two weeks to help the ministry restore its capabilities and capacities to treat Covid-19 cases.
He also said the ministry, under the Emergency Ordinance, will take over two hospitals that have not been used to date.
The move, he said, was to ensure the ministry would have the capacity to treat Covid-19 patients should there be further rise in cases.
He noted that the two hospitals being considered for takeover were Cyberjaya Hospital and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Specialist Children's Hospital.
"The UKM Specialist Children's Hospital has 243 unused regular beds and another 20 beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
"We can use to receive Covid-19 patients."