Khairy: Refined SOPs Will Be Clear and Simple to Follow

Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin at a press conference in Putrajaya, said the nation is entering an endemic situation and people have to learn to live with the virus.

“This is the way the virus is evolving, especially with the delta variant and other mutations and such. We have to adapt to reality on the ground. We cannot aim for zero cases anymore,” he said.

He urged the rakyat to get vaccinated and to not doubt vaccine protection, as data has shown that those who are vaccinated are not affected as badly.

“Vaccines work, vaccines save lives and it does not matter what kind of vaccines you get, the vaccines provide protection for us. Do not doubt that vaccination cannot help you,” he said.

He stressed that the Ministry is ever more focused on a data-centric approach to dealing with Covid-19. The Ministry will be gathering data of active positive cases and using accurate data to gain insight and analysis, while fine-tuning reports of cases to reflect actual numbers in the coming months.

“The MOH realised that to ensure a holistic public involvement…in our efforts to protect families and our community from the Covid-19 disease is by providing detailed data and complete information about the outbreak,” Khairy said at the press conference in Putrajaya.

In a bid to increase transparency, the Ministry of Health launched an online platform that will provide daily information related to Covid-19 including more granular data that was previously unavailable. The website, covidnow.moh.gov.my , shows mostly the same indicators used in previous reporting , but have new and detailed data added like the number of daily tests and patients treated at low-risk treatment and quarantine centres (PKRC). Some denominators used previously were also modified, like reporting the number of coronavirus-related deaths based on the time of death instead of reporting only when deaths are confirmed, which had caused backlogs that drove the daily numbers up.

Also, with the launching of the official Github account powered by MySejahtera, the public can access data in the repository for updates on the  National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) at https://github.com/CITF-Malaysia.

He speculates that with the high vaccination rates currently, Malaysia can start transitioning to the endemic phase after October depending on how people behave in these two crucial months.

“Just because we have a high vaccination rate doesn’t mean we can abandon SOPs and safety precautions. We still need to wear our mask, sanitise, maintain social distancing, and for indoor sports activities, to ensure that we provide good ventilation especially in closed spaces .“

He said the ministry will provide clear and easy to follow SOPs in the coming weeks and take steps to educate people in taking responsibility for their own vaccination status.

“If you are among the asymptomatic cases, get tested quickly and isolate yourself immediately. We are also working on contact tracing testing technology allowing us to test close contacts soon.”

He added that testing updates and facilities will be announced from time to time.

Previous articleWilstech Collaborates With Selangor State Government To Digitalise SMEs
Next articleMACC Arrests Key Management Staff Of Silterra A Business Unit Of DNeX

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here