KUALA LUMPUR – Health Director-General (DG) Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has assured the business community that the movement control orders (MCOs) imposed on the country since last year have managed to keep Covid-19 cases at bay, contrary to public opinion.
In a meeting summary sighted by The Vibes, Dr Noor Hisham told the community that based on available data, the current MCO 3.0 has helped keep the number of infections down, adding that without it, Covid-19 cases would have spiralled out of control.
He said he continues to take the “lives v livelihoods” approach when making decisions to recommend MCO and other restrictions to the government.
He also warned the community that if coronavirus cases hit 13,000 a day – which he said is a possibility without MCO 3.0 – the country’s healthcare system will collapse.
Despite the ongoing enhanced MCO in the Klang Valley, intensive care unit (ICU) bed usage is currently at 120%, with healthcare facilities being stretched thin, he added.
“The private sector has been roped in, and the sector’s initial 129 ICU beds are already 50% occupied.
“An additional 1,267 beds from the private sector are also already 51% occupied.”
Standard operating procedure (SOP) lethargy – whereby the general population fails to adhere to lockdown practices due to, among others, an increase in infections and an urgent need to resume normalcy – is something that everyone has to accept, he said.
On vaccinations, he stressed the importance of getting as many individuals immunised in the soonest time possible.
“Supply chain is the issue. If all goes well, the next two to three months (July to September) will be the most crucial, with daily vaccination now already crossing 250,000 shots per day.”
Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia has approved only vaccines that have provided good data.
Russia’s Sputnik vaccine, for example, does not have good real-life data, he said, hence the delay in registration and approval.
Those who received the Sinopharm vaccine do not have any antibody in them, which means the level of protection against the virus is doubtful, he added.
Dr Noor Hisham said the private vaccination market will be open for brands that are currently not under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme by next month.
The proposal to immunise individuals with different vaccines over the course of two doses will not be considered until strong data is available to justify any action, he said.
As for vaccination recognition, he said it is an international vaccine diplomacy issue not specific to Malaysia, as the World Health Organisation is attempting to assure mutual recognition.
He assured that through the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee headed by Khairy Jamaluddin, all foreign workers, regardless of their immigration status, will be given a single-shot vaccine of the CanSino or Johnson & Johnson variety.
On the possible use of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients, Dr Noor Hisham said there is no data to show that it works for everyone.
This is despite him giving permission for “off-label use” of the drug at government hospitals to treat coronavirus patients.
“The (drug’s) side effects are like fits (convulsions), which can be severe. Therefore, it is not safe to be self-administered for Covid-19 cases.
“Recently published data shows that those on Ivermectin were more prone to ICU ventilation.”
Dr Noor Hisham shared his concern over the Delta variant, which is four times more infectious than the original strain.
“And now that the virus is proven to be airborne, for the Delta variant, the exposure time is within five to 15 seconds before one can get infected.”
As such, he advises everyone to wear two masks and practise strict SOPs.
He said moving forward, fully vaccinated individuals will be considered for certain privileges such as domestic travel, patronising businesses and freedom of movement.
According to the summary, Dr Noor Hisham addressed these concerns of the business community during an online meeting organised by The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia on July 4.
The meeting also saw the participation of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia members, such as the Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia, Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, and Malaysian International Chamber Of Commerce and Industry. – The Vibes, July 7, 2021
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