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KOTA KINABALU: It is still too early to judge whether the motion control order currently in place in Sabah is working, as it will take about two weeks to see the whole picture, says Datuk Masidi Manjun.
The state’s Minister of Housing and Local Government said the growing number of cases in the state despite the MCO being in effect since January 13 is due to a lack of compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) at the end 2020.
He added that the increase in cases could also be attributed to the massive screening tests carried out by Socso on plantation and mill workers, especially on the east coast.
“If you assume that the incubation period is ten days, the effectiveness of the MCO can only be seen after 10 days. So the numbers that we are seeing now are pre-MCO infections,” Masidi said.
“I think the real picture of its effectiveness will be revealed in about two weeks, so we are talking about a few more days,” he told a virtual press conference on Wednesday (January 20).
Masidi also said that the current MCO was not as strict as last year because the government realized that they could not shut down the economy as before.
“We need to find a balance … Economic activities are allowed with strict compliance with the SOP, and I think that if it is done, there will be fewer infections in the workplace,” Masidi said.
On the plight of barber and hair salon operators requesting to operate during the MCO, Masidi said there was a clear reason why this service was not allowed due to the inevitable physical contact and proximity to customers.
In the new Health Ministry circular stating that Covid-19 testing will only be performed on close contacts with symptoms, Masidi said the state Department of Health will evaluate each case on its own merits.
“So it’s not really a directive, but rather a guideline. This means that those in Sabah will use their own discretion to decide.”
When asked how many students who were tested before returning to schools tested positive in the state, Masidi revealed that as of Wednesday (January 20), 36 students tested positive for Covid-19 during the assessment of SPM students. and STPM who have been allowed to return to the shelters since January 16.
He also said that Internet access had been provided at all Covid-19 Low Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centers (PKRCs) across the state for students to continue their studies online.
Sabah registered 406 new cases on Wednesday, bringing the cumulative numbers to 45,008.
Three deaths were recorded; two in Sandakan and one in Kota Kinabalu. The accumulated recovery figure is 40,549 people.
Two new groups were reported, Balibata with 35 cases in Beaufort and Sandakan and KKIP Selatan in Kota Kinabalu with 14 cumulative cases.
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