KUALA LUMPUR: There is no need to panic as the number of Covid-19 cases in the country is still under control, says health minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
She said the number of deaths due to Covid-19 was still low, mostly involving the elderly and individuals with comorbidities.
Zaliha said although the transmission rate of the latest Omicron sub-variants are faster than the previous ones, it is still under control with no severe symptoms.
“The sub-variants that we have identified are XBB 1.5, XBB 1.16 and XBB 1.9.1 and it is still the Omicron type,” she said at a press conference after attending a town hall session on the health ministry’s white paper here today.
Zaliha advised members of the public to wear face masks if they experienced any symptoms.
“We also encourage individuals with symptoms to do a screening test for Covid-19 as well as wear a face mask, especially during the festive period when meeting family members.
“If you have symptoms, avoid spreading the virus to the rest of the family,” she said.
Meanwhile, in another development, she said 4,264 contract medical officers had been appointed to permanent positions as of yesterday.
“I’ve received various positive feedback on this. Some thanked the health ministry for helping the doctors involved,” she said.
On April 4, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that 12,800 of the 20,330 contract doctors would be absorbed into permanent positions within three years, involving an additional allocation of RM1.7 billion.
Earlier, Zaliha also launched the health ministry’s white paper website for the public to obtain related information as well as give suggestions or views on the initiative.
She said the report would be presented in Parliament in June. - FMT
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