Stay home for two weeks and we may break Covid-19 chain of infection, Dr Noor Hisham urges

 

© Provided by Malay Mail Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah speaks during a press conference in Putrajaya on November 4, 2020. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today said that the chain of Covid-19 infections in Malaysia could be broken if all Malaysians could stay at home for two weeks.

He said this during a press conference today, and was replying to a question on if the conditional movement control order (CMCO) extension to December 6, would be long enough to reduce Covid-19 infectivity rates, bringing the country back towards a state of normalcy.

“If everyone can cooperate with the Ministry of Health, if everyone can play their role. The onus is on each and every one of us to comply. If they can stay at home for two weeks then we can break the chain of infection,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

He however said that compliance to standard operating procedure (SOP) has been a big problem in the fight against Covid-19, stating that restricting cross-district and cross-state travel has been their best tool to reduce the risk of infection.

“I would like to remind myself and the public to comply with SOPs. If you can, stay at home for two weeks. If you can not, and must go out of your homes, make sure you follow the SOPs suggested by the Ministry of Health,” he said.

Noor Hisham pointed out that the CMCO has reduced the Covid-19 infectivity rate in Malaysia, or the R0 or R-naught, from 2.2 on September 20 to below 1.0 today.

Earlier predictions made based on the R0 of 1.0 showed that the number of new infections today should be 978.

However, Malaysia only recorded 972 cases today, 6 less than the prediction. Malaysia had achieved the R0 of 1.0 on November 4.

The CMCO was first announced on Oct 13, for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Sabah, after a spike in Covid-19 cases following the Sabah state elections. Since then the CMCO has been extended to Dec 6, and now encompasses all states except Perlis, Pahang and Kelantan.