Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, two days ago, confirmed that we are now experiencing the third wave of Covid-19 infections.
We are nearing the 15,000 infections mark, with the number of active cases growing by the day. On Monday, new cases rose to 432 from 293 the day before, and on Tuesday, the number shot up to 691, the highest recorded in a single day since April.
It is an alarming situation, especially when less than a month a ago, we had not even crossed the 10,000 mark yet. Many blame the Sabah election for the sudden surge, others say politicians also had a role. Some even blame health authorities for not instituting a mandatory quarantine order on those returning from Sabah.
But, truth be told, none of the above has a monopoly on blame. It is a combination of things, a combination of circumstances that would make Murphy and his Law proud.
The time for finger-pointing is over. We have to accept that we are all to blame. We forgot that Covid-19 is still in our midst, so relaxed have we been because our numbers were low and our recovery rate high.
Thus, the standard operating procedures (SOP) were ignored in some cases. Health guidelines were dismissed. Covid-19 jokes and anecdotes were bandied about and physical distancing was not observed. How else to explain the hundreds of people each day found to be flouting the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) and its SOP?
Now, certain parts of the country — mostly in Sabah — have been placed under either the Conditional MCO or Targeted Enhanced MCO. Complaints are expected and, to a certain extent, understandable. But the implementation of the CMCO or TEMCO is not to inconvenience people. It is so that we can combat Covid-19 — contain the contagion in a particular area, do targeted screening and contact tracing. In short, it is for our safety.
Continue practising the new norms — it is the simplest way to keep safe. The basics have been laid out for us — avoid the 3Cs, crowded places, close contact settings and confined spaces. Practise the 3Ws — regular washing of hands, wearing of face masks and heeding the Health Ministry's warnings.
That last one is especially important as the ministry has time and again issued warnings and instructions. In this digital age, there is no excuse for not knowing the warnings and instructions as it utilises all its social media channels to disseminate information.
Be on the alert for fake news. Get reports about Covid-19 from established newspaper websites and portals. Verify the information you read, lest you fall for reports that claim the pandemic was planned and engineered. Covid-19 is real.
Tens of millions have been infected — some 10 per cent of the world has been infected, according to World Health Organisation estimates — and more than a million people have died. There are only two months left of 2020, but no end is yet in sight for this cataclysmic event.
So, stay safe, be vigilant, and look after yourselves and your loved ones.