By Xavier Kong
HEALTH director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah shared during his press conference today that the Ministry of Health (MoH) is concerned of a possible tsunami of Covid-19 cases, due to the large number of people who were travelling, visiting and socialising over the festive season.
He noted that, according to the numbers presented by Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, of the 2.45 million vehicles inspected since May 16, 18,303 had tried to cross state borders to return to their hometowns and were ordered to turn around.
Dr Noor Hisham stressed that it is a shared responsibility of Malaysians to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in the community.
“Should the community not adhere to the standard operating procedures, guidelines and the new normal, a spike is expected, which can cause a next wave of infection, with the possibility of the wave becoming a tsunami,” he warned.
This is despite a sharp fall in Covid-19 cases today, as the number of confirmed cases dropped back to the low double digits.
Only 15 new cases were confirmed, of which six are imported and four involve foreign nationals. This brings the total of confirmed cases in Malaysia to 7,616 with 42 new recoveries reported, bringing the total of discharged patients to 6,083.
This leaves 1,421 active transmission cases being treated, of which 8 are in intensive care units. Of those in the ICU, 4 require ventilator support. No deaths were reported today, leaving the death toll at 115.
Dr Noor Hisham also shared that, as of May 26, there are over 5.5 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the world, with the virus claiming 348,610 lives. Malaysia, he notes, represents 0.14% of the global confirmed cases.
“It can be seen that the pandemic is increasing in severity, and is far from over. The war against Covid-19 is ongoing,” he said, as he again advised Malaysians to practise the new normal, and to adhere to guidelines and SOP.
With regards to the spike in cases over the past few days, Dr Noor Hisham noted that it was due to the detection of the virus among detainees at immigration detention centres. However, the cases were detected due to the targeted approach taken by the government in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic.
To date, 30,671 of the migrant community have been screened, with 1,853 testing positive. Of this number, 753 are still being treated, one in intensive care. There have also been a total of four deaths among the migrant community from Covid-19.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to pinpoint the source of infections in the detention centres. We are still investigating, and we have several assumptions and theories, but we have not pinpointed the source of infections,” said Dr Noor Hisham.
He added that the important thing is that the cases were successfully isolated, quarantined and are being treated. This has also provided knowledge on how to prevent this in other centres, as well as other public spaces. At the same time, he also noted that worker accommodation needs to be looked at, pointing at the cramped quarters as transmission vectors for not just Covid-19 but other infectious diseases as well.
“I think we have to look into the short term and the long term aspects to solve this problem of confined and crowded spaces, especially for the foreign workers. This is something that we have to change today, from the norms in the past to the different norms of a better future,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham also noted that the warning from the World Health Organisation (WHO) is valid, due to the fact that many countries around the world have begun loosening restrictions with regards to the pandemic.
“If we do not adhere to the SOP, there is a possibility of the number of cases increasing. We are on watch for any spikes in case numbers, and whether or not Malaysians are following the SOPs. Together we can lower the numbers,” he said.
He added that Malaysia will be able to avoid the next wave or tsunami of cases if Malaysians adhere to the SOPs, such as safe social distancing.
On the handheld thermometers used for thermal screening, Dr Noor Hisham notes that there are specifications for the devices used. He noted that the temperature readings should be between 36.6 and 37.2 degrees Celsius. He added that there are other symptoms to watch out for in addition to the fever, and that those performing the screening should be attentive for symptoms such as fatigue.
Dr Noor Hisham also shared that today marks the first day Malaysia has a single-digit local transmission number. However, he stressed that it is important to make this sustainable. This, he notes, is due to the strategy transition from the Movement Control Order (MCO) to the Conditional MCO.
At this time, the immediate concern is in two weeks, about whether there will be a surge in cases following the festive season. – May 27, 2020
