The National Security Council has decided not to impose a complete lockdown like the Movement Control Order we first experienced in March last year. However, stricter measures, to be announced later today, will be put in place for economic and social sectors.
The thing is, it should never have come to this. We did so well during MCO 1.0, but as soon as some restrictions were lifted, we had to deal with a state election and, more importantly, we went a little crazy. Having had our movements restricted for such a long time, we were something like wild animals let out of cages.
We began moving about freely, ignoring movement restrictions and standard operating procedures (SOP). Or, at least some of us did. All it takes is for a handful of people to let their guard down and the virus, still very much around, will soon be spread far and wide.
That is exactly what has happened. If before, people were anxious for the MCO to be over, now they are anxious that our numbers are hitting record highs again. We have been living with Covid-19 for what sometimes seems like forever now.
So much has happened. It is not surprising that people are tired, afraid, and want something to happen. With the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme moving at a slow pace, despite assurances from Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, the anxiety among the people is getting worse.
This anxiety has led, of late, to growing interest in Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug used in animals. According to Forbes, some view the drug as a potential Covid-19 treatment, even though there is no credible evidence of its viability nor efficacy.
In fact, global medical experts and health bodies have warned that available data does not support the drug's use, with the United States reporting many cases of people being hospitalised after self-medicating Ivermectin. Yet, there are people here who have called for the drug's use. What we should have done was stay calm, let the authorities do their jobs, as they know best and, most importantly, follow the SOP.
In Sweden, there has not been a total lockdown, despite the high number of cases. On May 5, it was reported the country clocked 7,041 new cases with 60 deaths in a country of 10 million inhabitants. Some restrictions were put in place, but for the most part, things are almost like normal. The government trusted citizens to follow the SOP. Sadly, we have proven that this sort of approach would not work for us.
But, it is still not too late. Full-scale MCO or not, tighten or loosen restrictions, the ball is now in our court. What we need to do is to ensure we are registered to be vaccinated and, above all, keep ourselves safe. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and the Health Ministry have called for us to go into self-lockdown.
Basically, all it means is for us to stay at home, only venturing out when absolutely necessary, and to follow the SOP when outside. We should heed this call. All the rules in the world are of no use if we ourselves do not practise them. We all have a role to play and we each have a responsibility to flatten the curve. The fight must go on.