[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR: The question of whether the Movement Control Order (MCO) that went into effect on March 18 will be expanded or not will be answered in approximately 72 hours, if not sooner.
After 53 days, many would like their lives to return to normal soon, and therefore hoped that the MCO would not extend further, but the government will surely have to analyze all aspects of the current Covid-19 situation before make your decision.
It is not a simple or trivial matter. It is a matter of life and economy. Therefore, the government must make a very good decision following the advice of the Ministry of Health (MS).
If we are afraid that the economy will continue to slow down, perhaps the government should decide not to extend the MCO. But the most important thing now is people’s lives.
We don’t want our country to experience the same situation as the Japanese island of Hokkaido, which has been hit by yet another increase in Covid-19 cases after lifting the shutdown too soon.
For the record, the MCO to curb the spread of Covid-19 infection in Malaysia is now in its fourth phase, which will end on May 12. The government, at the same time, announced the implementation of the conditional MCO as of May 4, which allowed almost all business sectors to reopen.
At this time, we can be a little proud that as of yesterday, the Covid-19 figures had shown an encouraging development since 88 patients were discharged, bringing the total number of recovery cases to 4,864, which is 74.43. % of the total of 6,535 positive cases.
Furthermore, no new deaths were recorded on two consecutive days with a number of deaths remaining at 107. This positive sign is expected to flatten the curve of Covid-19 infection and allow the country to enter the recovery phase.
Since the outbreak of the disease, many complaints have been heard from people who were prohibited from entering supermarkets and having to return home empty-handed just because they were not wearing a face mask.
It is undeniable that supermarkets play a vital role in preventing the spread of the disease. Almost all supermarkets are forcing their customers to wear face masks and check their body temperature before entering the premises during the MCO.
In this regard, Chief Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that it is not a crime if someone does not wear a face mask in public places and the administration of the supermarket, or any commercial premises, cannot scare away customers they are not wearing it, much less have them detained or arrested.
This, he said, is provided for in the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Act of 1988 or Act 342.
However, Ismail Sabri said the Ministry of Health had already issued guidelines and always reminded the public that only those who had symptoms of Covid-19 should wear face masks to prevent the spread of the virus.
So let’s instill the new normal when we go to public places. Although not required, it is highly recommended that everyone wear a face mask to prevent Covid-19 infection.
After all, prevention is always better than cure.
We still have to win this war against the pandemic. We should get used to the new normal, practice self-control, and avoid overcrowding and congestion anywhere.
Almost every day we hear from Ismail Sabri and the Director General of Health, Datuk, Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, who gave us that reminder during their daily press conferences.
It would be sad if all those reminders fell on deaf ears. – Bernama
[ad_2]
