KUALA LUMPUR: Employers are strongly recommended to revert to working from home or remote working to slow down the spread of daily new Covid-19 infections.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this was imperative as the country strives to prevent the number of cases from escalating further.
"My message to Malaysian employers is that although we are confident that we can weather the Omicron wave, and the effect is not as bad as the Delta wave, it is best to be careful and take precautionary measures.
"Therefore, where possible, face-to-face or physical meetings can be avoided for now. The ministry strongly recommends employers to encourage work from home or remote working," he said during a press conference today.
The number of new Covid-19 cases jumped to 27,831 cases yesterday (Feb 16).
The previously recorded highest number of cases was on Aug 21 last year, with 22,262 cases.
The health ministry said a comparison between these two situations showed that the Covid-19 infectious rate or Ro/Rt on Feb 16 for the whole country stood at 1.32, compared to the Ro/Rt rate of 1.04 on Aug 21 last year.
This, it said, indicates that the current infectious rate is higher, and is most likely caused by the Omicron wave.
"However, current high vaccination rates including booster dose intake have lowered the number of hospital admissions, ICU occupancy, and death due to Covid-19, compared to the situation on Aug 21 last year.
"Take your booster dose, practice 3W (Wash, Wear, Warn) and avoid 3C (Crowded Places, Confined Spaces, Close Conversation), ensure good ventilation and adhere to the SOPs to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection."