PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia would have recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus infections by today had it not been for the conditional movement control order (CMCO) imposed in states with high caseloads.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this is based on projections by Imperial College London.
He said Malaysia currently has an infectivity rate, or R-naught (R0), of 1.0, down from 2.2 at the start of the third Covid-19 wave at end-September.
If the CMCO had not been reintroduced, he said, the rate would have remained at a high of 2.2 or even increased, meaning a further spike in cases.
“Even if the R0 had remained at 1.5, by November 10, we were projected to hit 4,480 cases.
“But in reality, on that day, we recorded only 869 cases. This is the effectiveness of the CMCO, and we were also able to balance between health and the economy,” he told a press conference here today.
Earlier, Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry’s recommendation for the CMCO to be implemented in certain districts or states was based on risk assessments, taking into account several factors.
These include the rate of increase in infections, especially in a short period of time, and the distribution of cases in areas, including if they are concentrated in specific locations like prisons.
“Other factors include population density and the existence of places of public focus and interest, like markets, factories and malls.
“Another factor is the socio-demographic conditions of the population, whether there are a lot of movements in the area and if there is a high number of foreigners.” – The Vibes, November 20, 2020
