[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: Medical experts and an economist cautioned against continuing the various stages of the motion control order (MCO) for a long period of time, saying the negative impact outweighed its benefits.
This comes after Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) minister Mohd Redzuan Yusof announced on November 23 that the conditional MCO in various states could last until the end of the year if the number of Covid-19 cases remained high. .
Redzuan said preventive measures are being taken to reduce the number of cases to a minimum and, if possible, to zero.
Speaking to the FMT, former Deputy Health Minister Dr. Lee Boon Chye strongly opposed the measure, saying that continuing with CMCO until the end of the year would have a severe impact on the economy.
Lee urged the Health Ministry to review existing measures as it failed to reduce the number of new infections and clusters.
“The formation of new clusters shows that the ability to track, test and isolate contacts is lagging behind the emergence of new cases.”
He said the Health Ministry should focus on reviewing measures to prevent new clusters from forming.
“(The Ministry of Health) should increase the capacity to trace, test and isolate contacts. When all close contacts are isolated, new cases and clusters can be prevented.
“This can be done by creating a special contact tracing team, led by public health officials, with the help of the MySejahtera app. The Ministry of Health must immediately employ at least 1,500 to 2,000 employees to assist in contact tracing, ”he said.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) reminded people that preventing the spread of Covid-19 is a collective responsibility and that everyone must do their part.
“The most important factor is public compliance with the SOPs. With full compliance, the curve will flatten out and there will be no need for a CMCO, ”MMA President Dr. Subramaniam Muniandy told FMT, adding that the decision to impose a CMCO should be supported by sufficient scientific evidence.
The executive director of the Center for Market Education Malaysia, Carmelo Ferlito, estimated that Malaysia would have an almost flat growth rate of gross domestic product (GDP) if the government decided to prolong movement restrictions along with political uncertainty and border closures, among others.
“This year, about 32,000 SMEs (small and medium-sized companies) have already closed. In addition to that, we also have other negative medical consequences, such as delayed cancer screenings and depression, ”he said.
