PUTRAJAYA: The number of new Covid-19 cases has shown a positive improvement on the first day of Malaysia’s conditional movement control order (MCO).
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Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced 55 new cases – a return to double digits after two days – as well as zero death yesterday.
He said 71 patients were discharged in the same 24-hour span, which means 4,484 or 70% of the people have recovered from the disease in the country.
“As at 12pm on May 4, there are 55 new cases, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the country to 6,353.
“The number of active cases is 1,764 and the patients have been isolated and are receiving treatment.
“Out of the 55 new cases, seven are imported ones. Locally transmitted cases are 48, with 24 of them detected within the localities that are under enhanced MCO, ” Dr Noor Hisham said at the ministry’s daily Covid-19 press conference here.
There are only 28 patients in the intensive care units, with 13 requiring ventilator support. The death toll remains at 105.
On the implementation of the conditional MCO, Dr Noor Hisham said it was too early to tell the level of compliance among the public.
“During the first, second and third phases of the MCO, the message was for everyone to stay at home. Now, under the conditional MCO, the message is for everyone to adhere to the SOP by the government.
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“Unless you have social discipline or social compliance, you do not go out. This is the responsibility for all of us, including the industry or restaurants to comply to the SOP. If you do not comply, action can be taken, ” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham urged Malaysians to take note of Taiwan and South Korea, which had managed to implement social discipline even without having an MCO in place.
When asked if the government intends to make the wearing of masks mandatory, Dr Noor Hisham said it was only encouraged.
“The wearing of masks is very much encouraged, but it is not compulsory. Even more important is that social distancing habits have to be practised. If we can do this, we can curb the spread of Covid-19, ” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry had detected a new Covid-19 cluster at the Taman BDC housing area in Kuching, Sarawak.
“The cluster is linked to the Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling tabligh gathering, with some 37 people infected so far.
“The index case in this cluster had attended the tabligh gathering, and infected family members, colleagues and several people at a local mosque. The infections in the cluster span three generations, ” he said.
Ministry officials said the index case tested positive for the disease on March 8.
-The Star