COVID-19 | Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has chastised lax Covid-19 precautions in the community, even amongst frontliners who are at high risk of being exposed to the virus.
He said the disease’s reproduction number (Rt), which is a measure of its infectivity, has increased from 0.72 to 1.72 over a span of two weeks.
He said this exceeds the critical level of 1.60. In previous press conferences, Noor Hisham had said an Rt above 1.60 means the outbreak is growing exponentially, which threatens to overwhelm Malaysia’s healthcare services.
“Based on assessments by the ministry, there has been an increased movement of people within Malaysia. Perhaps the community is increasingly lax and apathetic towards the standard operating procedures.
“The advice given is starting to be taken lightly, and this includes frontliners among healthcare workers and other agencies,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
As an example, he said one healthcare worker in the Sungai cluster is found to have infected seven family members today.
Noor Hisham said frontliners - whether in the government or private sector - are at high risk of being exposed to Covid-19 and other diseases at healthcare facilities.
They are also at risk of being exposed to diseases while in the community.
“As such, 100-percent compliance with guidelines and protocols while on-duty and off-duty is extremely important. Non-compliance will lead to the spread of Covid-19.
“The Health Ministry urges all healthcare workers, frontliners of various agencies, and people of all walks of society to take the Covid-19 situation in the country seriously. Take precautions to take care of ourselves and our families at all times,” he urged.
No fist-bumps, maintain physical distance
At the press conference, Noor Hisham also discouraged the use of ‘fist-bumps’, which has been popularised amid the Covid-19 pandemic as an alternative greeting to handshakes to minimise contact.
This is alongside his usual advice such as to avoid crowded or confined spaces and to practice good cough or sneeze etiquette.
“Every press conference, we have reminded to avoid greetings and touching. If there is contact, there is a risk.
“So, if possible, keep one metre’s distance. That’s why we ask not to greet people with fist bumps.
“If there is a positive case, there is still the possibility of transmission if there is no one-metre distancing,” he added. - Mkini
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