According to several health experts, the time has come for Malaysia to start easing its Covid-19 safety protocols amid talks that the government is re-examining the face mask mandate.
Public health specialist Dr Mohammad Farhan Rusli said a mask mandate still brings health benefits when implemented in certain places.
"Masks should be mandated indoors and during large gatherings where physical distancing cannot be achieved. There are a lot of positive outcomes from a mask mandate - in the appropriate places.
"However, (mask mandates for) open-air spaces should be revoked as in the current situation, it serves little to no purpose - especially to those who are fully vaccinated and boosted," he told Malaysiakini.
According to Farhan, many countries have shifted to mandate the compulsory wearing of face masks only indoors, a move that he said was based on science.
"There is a lot of scientific data that proves it. As I have said many times before, we must approach using evidence-based medicine and apply it to policymaking, instead of following populist moves," he added.
He added that Malaysia still needs to mandate the use of face masks indoors, especially because of poor ventilation.
Many buildings in the country, including public facilities, are yet to meet the required air quality standards.
"Malaysia always had a poor track record on actually enforcing good safety protocols, especially in terms of air quality.
"Just look at government buildings themselves. Most will surely fail any, if not all, indoor air quality tests," he claimed.
Infectious disease expert Dr Christopher Lee concurred that the mask mandate for the outdoors should be lifted.
He said it is time the country reviews and finetunes its Covid-19 SOPs, given the current pandemic situation.
"Certainly, with the decreasing numbers of Covid-19 hospital admissions, especially in ICU, and Covid deaths, plus our high vaccination rates, it is time to review our SOPs.
"Mask mandates may be lifted in open spaces unless there is significant crowding, but in enclosed spaces, especially when cross ventilation is limited, masks should still be enforced or strongly encouraged," he told Malaysiakini.
At the same time, Lee, a former Health Ministry deputy director-general, also advised the government to lift restrictions gradually.
He said lifting restrictions must be accompanied by continued monitoring of the Covid-19 situation.
'Move forward cautiously'
Senior consultant paediatrician Dr Amar Singh HSS said the government should move cautiously when easing the current Covid-19 SOPs.
In a statement, Amar said Malaysia should learn from other countries which took similar moves, including completely removing their mask mandates.
"The experience from Europe and the United Kingdom is of concern. When restrictions, including the mask mandate, were lifted, hospitalisations rose, especially among children," he said.
Amar pointed out the serious effects of Long Covid and other long-term health impacts when a person is infected with the disease and stressed that vaccination does not entirely remove the risk of Long Covid.
He added many Malaysians have also dropped their guard as the country moves to the endemic phase.
He said children under five who cannot be vaccinated are also at risk.
"I would ask that we move forward cautiously. We must constantly review the data and anticipate the impact of what is coming – for example, the Omicron sub-variants are harmful to children under 10 years of age, as seen from Hong Kong and UK data.
"We must continue to protect children and vulnerable adults, and we must do this together as a community. We must not remove our mask mandate.
"In fact, the data supports that we should upgrade our face mask quality, including for children. We should all be using reliable FFP2/KF94 masks. We need to use masks in all indoor facilities, during public transport, and at any crowded outdoor venue.
Beginning April 1, Malaysia officially started its transition into an endemic phase.
Masks are one of the very few remaining Covid-19 protocols, alongside the use of the MySejahtera application for ‘check-in’ purposes and physical distancing.
Masks are mandated through regulations issued by the Health Ministry under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease Act 1988. Violators can be fined up to RM1,000.
There are several situations where exceptions are given, including during sports, recreational and leisure activities, eating and drinking, and performances such as singing, dancing, acting, and public speech.
Recently, rumours started spreading that the government plans to remove the mask mandate, either entirely or partially.
The rumours grew stronger as a copy of a federal police circular went viral on social media, which ordered police to stop issuing compounds against people who failed to wear face masks and only to advise them to put on the masks.
However, Bukit Aman later said they withdrew the instructions.
Malaysiakini learned that Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin would be holding a press conference next Wednesday, where he is expected to make an announcement related to the Covid-19 situation and SOPs.
Khairy said last week that the ministry would decide soon on whether to continue requiring people to use the MySejahtera's ‘check-in’ feature when entering public premises. - Mkini
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