MUAR: The health ministry will carry out a risk assessment of the Covid-19 infection situation in the middle of next month following the announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) that the epidemic is no longer categorised as a global health emergency.
Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the assessment was necessary to review the declaration of certain localities as areas of infection.
It is also necessary to facilitate the government in determining the next course of direction involving the latest protection measures against Covid-19.
Although WHO no longer categorised Covid-19 as an international health emergency, Zaliha said the ministry needed to take into account local factors.
“We, at the technical committee, have given our views that we will continue with the existing standard operating procedures (SOP).
“There are still Covid-19 cases, although the situation is under control.
“We will look at the situation in the country first before adopting WHO’s recommendations,” she told a press conference after attending a town hall session on the white paper on health for the southern zone at the higher education hub in Pagoh here today.
Zaliha said the ministry would also review and update the Covid-19 guidelines with reference to WHO’s recommendations regarding the long-term management transition of the pandemic.
Yesterday, foreign news agencies reported that WHO had lifted the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) status for Covid-19, but insisted the disease continues to pose a global threat.
Commenting on the proposed white paper on health, Zaliha said it will be the beginning of a journey to reform the Malaysian health system to make it more sustainable and competitive.
The white paper will be tabled in Parliament next month, she added.
Meanwhile, in a statement on Covid-19 cases, Zaliha said the number of cases increased by 53.1% to 7,596 in the 8th epidemiology week, from April 30 to May 6, from 4,963 cases in the previous week.
“The admission rate of Covid-19 patients (including suspected patients) to public health facilities also showed an increase from 5.8% to 7.2% per 100,000 population during the week.”
She said the infection situation in Malaysia was still under control and did not affect health services in hospitals. - FMT
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