More than half of new Covid-19 cases in past 7 days locally transmitted

CORONAVIRUS | As the government plans to ease restrictions on the movement control order (MCO) next Monday, concerns have been raised that it may be too early to do so.

A look at data over the past seven days since April 25, shows that more than half of the 380 new Covid-19 cases were local or community transmissions.

Specifically, 248 or 65.3 percent of cases were community transmissions, compared to 132 imported cases (34.7 percent).

Of the community transmissions, 179 cases or 72.2 percent, were in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

A more detailed look at the data shows that 73.4 percent of cases in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor occurred in enhanced MCO areas and nearby areas.

There was, however, a spike of infections outside of enhanced MCO areas today, with 32 out of 52 cases in the Klang Valley being reported from outside of lockdown zones.

Overall, 135 cases or 54.4 percent of community transmissions nationwide since April 25 occurred outside enhanced MCO areas.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced today that many economic and social sectors will be allowed to reopen beginning this Monday, including restaurants.

Standard operating procedures have been introduced in an effort to prevent a new wave of infections.

The Health Ministry had also backed the government's move, saying there was a need to strike a balance between life and livelihood.

However, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak was among those hesitant to support the easing of restrictions.

Citing community infection data, Najib said the government should be taking more gradual steps.

"What is the need for a such a broad simultaneous easing (of restrictions) on Monday even though the MCO will end on May 12?

"Slow and steady, sector by sector, gradually. There is no need to be in a hurry," he said in a Facebook post.

He said that the current easing would be difficult to manage and brings great risks to the health sector and health workers.

He said Canada and Japan have already experienced a resurgence of cases after restrictions were eased.

Even if the government wanted to ease restrictions on such a broad scale, they should give more than three days for businesses to prepare, possibly even as late as May 11, he added.

"Use a week to teach the public how to practice social distancing SOPs when in public areas.

"How to eat separately at restaurants, how to queue up at the cashier or getting on a bus, how to sit using public transportation," he said.

The move to ease restrictions comes as the number of Covid-19 recoveries nears 70 percent, with only 1,758 active cases out of 6,071 cases in total.

New infections have also been in the double digits for seventeen straight days. - Mkini