COVID-19 situation not encouraging - Dr Adham

PUTRAJAYA, April 12  -- The projection of daily COVID-19 cases in Malaysia to drop to around 500 in May has not been encouraging and instead, the current situation is worrying, says Health Minister says Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

He said this was due to the lax in adhering to the stipulated standard operating procedure (SOP) despite the emphasis on public cooperation needed in ensuring strict compliance

At a news conference pertaining to developments on the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme together with the Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar here today, Dr Adham said the country’s infectivity rate (Rt) currently was 1.06.

He said the Ministry of Health (MoH) would try to ensure that all the preventive and control measures could be implemented as a priority, with Sarawak, Penang, Selangor and Johor seeing rising cases of COVID-19.

The MoH has previously projected that the daily cases could drop to 500 in May at Rt of less than 1.0.

Malaysia recorded 1,739 daily COVID-19 positive cases last Sunday (April 11).

On the situation in Sarawak, Dr Adham said the Rt there was 1.08 currently and the trend showed was worrying, Out of the 1,739 cases recorded in the country yesterday, Sarawak reported 443 cases.

Dr Adham said based on the monitoring and analysis done for 2021, the COVID-19 trend in Sarawak was a rise in cases since Jan 9.

According to him, 39 COVID-19 clusters have been detected in Sarawak since early this year involving the community linked to gatherings and other social activities, as well as interdistrict travel.

Dr Adham said he and some MoH senior officers would be going to Sarawak today to discuss the immediate measures to be taken with the Sarawak government and the resources needed including manpower, medical and personal protective equipment, other logistics as well as the lab test requirements.

He said that preparedness and mobilisation of manpower and equipment as well as the setting up of quarantine and low-risk treatment centres were important in fighting the pandemic.

-- BERNAMA