[UPDATED] Out with daily Covid-19 updates, in with new portal

PUTRAJAYA – The daily Covid-19 updates that are now so familiar to the public will be phased out soon, as the government looks to introduce a new format that focuses on key indicators of the Malaysian healthcare system. 

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the current format of updating daily infections by state, the number of deaths, and the vaccination rate will be replaced. 

The government has introduced a new website, namely Covidnow, that will prioritise active infections and the breakdown of cases, including those undergoing isolation at home and quarantine centres.

The portal will also display hospital capacity, including the usage rate of intensive care units and ventilators.

The move to phase out the daily updates is in line with the government’s decision to declare the endemic phase of the health crisis when the country attains herd immunity sometime next month. 

“The current daily reporting format by the Health Ministry will be gradually phased out over the next few days. That map (case breakdown by state), bye-bye,” Khairy told a press conference here today. 

“Instead, we will provide a simplified format (on the new site) to show key indicators. It is important to give data on active cases, the categories they are in, and where they are located, among others.”

The public can still get data on the daily caseload via the site or the Health Ministry’s GitHub platform. 

On the launch of the new portal, Khairy said it is to allow the public to better understand and consume data, adding that the GitHub platform may be more complicated to comprehend.

The data will be updated daily at midnight. 

Khairy said the portal also aims to increase transparency in data sharing, and that it will “lift the veil of secrecy in statistics”. 

“The ministry will continue to interpret and analyse the data, and it also welcomes opinions and analysis from the relevant experts.” 

He said new granular data, including details on fresh Covid-19 cases, such as the date and location of infection, age of the patient, comorbidities and symptoms shown, will be added.

“By the end of this month, we will have a more accurate reporting of daily cases from the ground, including granular data.” 

With the launch of the site, he said, it is hoped that the public will adopt a behavioural change and abide by the standard operating procedures so as to enter a new phase where Covid-19 is a part of life.

Meanwhile, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah tweeted that the new site is the official government portal for data and insights on the coronavirus.

“The site will display daily updates on vaccinations, deaths, ventilations, ICU (use), hospitalisations and cases by state.” – The Vibes, September 9, 2021