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PETALING JAYA: While health experts agree that Malaysia should tighten border controls to curb imported Covid-19 cases, factors other than the total confirmed cases should be considered when assessing whether a country is “high risk”.
University of Malaya Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health, Dr. Sanjay Rampal, said that having an indicator to determine a country’s Covid-19 risk level to control international borders is vital.
“Preventing imported cases from spreading the infection locally is a priority for managing this pandemic.
“In addition to mandatory quarantine, restricting people from today’s high-risk countries can decrease the likelihood of another large outbreak.
“It is useful to classify countries as ‘low’, ‘moderate’ or ‘high’ risk according to an indicator, and use that indicator to gauge the intensity of our standard operating procedure (SOP).
“Responsive, dynamic SOP is more sustainable,” he said when contacted.
He suggested that instead of using the cumulative number of reported Covid-19 cases as a measure of a country’s level of risk, the size and density of a country’s population over a particular time period should be taken into account.
“The current severity of Covid-19 can best be measured by calculating active cases during the past 14 days per million inhabitants,” he said.
However, he noted that not all countries publish active case data on a daily basis, which can make it difficult to assess a country’s level of risk.
The president of the Malaysian Association of Public Health Medicine Specialists, Dr. Zainal Ariffin Omar, said there was no need to impose a ban on citizens of countries with more than 150,000 cases.
Dr. Zainal said the mandatory 14-day quarantine for foreigners entering the country was enough to prevent them from spreading the virus here.
“The general policy (of prohibition) will also slow down the economic recovery of the country and this will make life difficult for the affected families,” he said.
Dr. Zainal said clear instructions could be given to foreigners, such as allowing them to enter and undergo the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
“All the cost of quarantine and treatment will also be borne by the people. Nor should they have any symptoms or have contact with any person who is carrying the virus, in addition to the fact that the government has the right to cancel their entry permit at any time, “she said.
Putra University Malaysia epidemiologist Dr. Malina Osman said the banned entry of citizens from countries with more than 150,000 Covid-19 cases was a good measure.
“We have observed over the past few months that the number of imported cases has contributed to a significant number of new cases in Malaysia.
“The decision helps reduce the risk of transmission or the possible introduction of a new strain in our country,” he said.
He added that imported cases also meant that the number of people to be quarantined was also high, causing the government to bear higher costs.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced on Thursday that the government would impose an entry ban on citizens of countries with more than 150,000 Covid-19 cases.
The new policy, which will begin next Monday, will affect citizens of countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, France, as well as India, Indonesia and the Philippines.
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