KUALA LUMPUR: Health experts said the removal of the home surveillance order (HSO) for those testing positive for Covid-19 is a way forward for the country.
Public health physician Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the quarantine system is no longer needed as Covid-19 is now considered endemic.
"The public is used to the precautions, and the infection is quite mild nowadays. The number of infected individuals may be quite high since Covid-19 is endemic like the common flu," he said.
He added that a bundled quarantine system by the facility is non-productive for the country and that quarantine should be applied only for serious and necessary cases.
He also said that our vaccination coverage is adequate and effective as it is.
Similarly, Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a public health medical expert from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, agreed that vaccination provides good protection against the virus.
She said vaccination helps our bodies fight the virus, making quarantine unnecessary.
"For those who have already been vaccinated, they are relatively healthy. For those who got infected with no vaccination, when they engage with the public (mostly vaccinated), it becomes passive immunity," she added.
She also said that when Covid-19 is classified as endemic, it means the virus is everywhere and it is a common virus.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the revocation of the HSO was among the standard operating procedures (SOP) and guidelines reviewed by the ministry in implementing its "Living with Covid-19" phase.
Previously, those testing positive for Covid-19 would have to observe a five-day HSO, starting from the onset of symptoms. As for the issuance of medical leave certificates or referral to a hospital (if necessary), Dr Dzulkefly said it was based on the assessment of the attending medical officer.