MELAKA – The Melaka government will not make it compulsory to wear face masks indoors in most public places, following the declining trend of Covid-19 cases in the state.
State Health and Anti-Drugs Committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the decision was made after a two-week observation mounted by the relevant authorities showed a high level of public awareness, with people wearing face masks indoors and crowded places to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Alhamdulillah, the number of Covid-19 cases recorded in Melaka within those two weeks showed only 250 cases in the first week, declining to 217 cases in the second week.
“When the state government encouraged the wearing of face masks, the number of cases declined further to only 180 cases in the following week,” he told reporters here today.
Elaborating, Akmal said despite the declining trend, the state government still encourages the locals and tourists in Melaka to keep wearing face masks, maintain a safe distance, and use hand sanitiser or wash their hands frequently.
At the same time, he said the state government also encourages the people in the state to take the first and second booster doses.
“Taking this booster dose is one of the ways to increase their antibodies, and people can walk into any of the state’s 32 health clinics and three hospitals for the first and second booster doses,” he said. – Bernama, January 6, 2023
