KUALA LUMPUR – The federal government should not justify implementing a full lockdown in Selangor by citing the state’s Covid-19 caseload, said Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
While the state’s daily infections continue to outpace others over the past weeks, said the Selangor Task Force Covid-19 chairman, it is not the one most impacted by the coronavirus.
He said this is based on three key metrics that should be used by Putrajaya to determine the worst-hit areas: infectivity rate, and cases and deaths per population.
“If we look at the infectivity rate, does Selangor have the country’s highest? No, and this is based on facts and data from the Health Ministry,” he said in a joint press conference with state public health exco Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud today.
“Our R-naught (infectivity rate) is 1.14, lower than six other states, namely Pahang, Sabah, Perak, Terengganu, Putrajaya and Negri Sembilan.
“Secondly, if we look at the number of infections per 100,000 population, Selangor is the fourth-worst-hit state. The state with the highest rate is Kelantan, followed by Sarawak and Kuala Lumpur.
“And finally, if we consider the number of fatalities per one million people, we are also No. 4, behind Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak. So, if the health minister wants to implement (a full lockdown in Selangor), I urge him to reconsider it.”
Dr Dzulkefly was responding to his successor Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba, who on Monday said the ministry is considering imposing a stepped-up movement control order (MCO) in Selangor, given its high caseload.
It comes after several quarters questioned the efficacy of the nationwide MCO in place from May 12 to June 7.
Selangor has consistently recorded about a third of Malaysia’s daily infections over the past weeks.
Dr Dzulkefly said if the federal government insists on implementing a full-blown MCO in Selangor, the impact will be far-reaching for the state’s people and economy, which contributes almost a quarter of the national gross domestic product.
He said daily wage earners will lose their source of income, household stress levels will increase, and the effect on a “lost generation” of children, who have had to deal with school closures, will be devastating.
Selangor’s high infection tally is only to be expected given the state’s huge and high-density population, and mass economic activities, he said.
“This is why when there are other outbreaks, like dengue, we record the highest number of infections.”
Delayed response reason for infection surge
Dr Dzulkefly said Putrajaya’s slow identification and isolation of Covid-19 cases contributes to the state’s rise in community transmission.
“Through our observation, we realised that the issue is a policy matter. The whole process is very slow.
“For example, when someone tests positive in an RTK-Antigen screening, it takes three to five days to get an RT-PCR test appointment. And, it is found that on average, close contacts usually get a screening appointment only in six to 10 days.
“This is where infections in clusters spill over into the community. (Infected individuals) would roam around, leading to a backlog of cases in the community.”
Dr Siti Mariah said despite the Selangor government not seeing the need for a full lockdown, it does not mean people can take their foot off the pedal in the fight against Covid-19.
She said today’s presser is meant to provide a clearer understanding to those blaming the state government for the infection spike.
“It is as though the responsibility of handling the pandemic is solely the state’s. The people must understand that the state’s jurisdiction on health matters is complementary to that of the federal government.
“In fact, when we made several suggestions, they were shot down. So, it’s not fair to blame the Selangor government for the spike in cases.”
As of yesterday, 3.3% of Selangor folk have been vaccinated under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, reported Bernama.
The state government intends to procure vaccines for priority groups, despite Putrajaya’s assurance of free jabs for all Malaysians.
“We have informed the federal government that Selangor will focus on workers, as the state is dependent on factories and industries, which contribute almost 25% of Malaysia’s GDP,” said Dr Siti Mariah.
She added that the state government, through Selgate Corporation, has booked 2.5 million doses from one of three approved vaccine producers, namely Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca, with the supply expected to arrive next month.
“We have reached the final stage (discussions and purchase), and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari is expected to announce the vaccine purchase next week.”
Some 3,500 companies in the state have made known their interest to buy vaccines procured by the Selangor administration via the Selangkah VAX programme, which will benefit more than a million workers in the industrial sector.
“For traders, small factories, and the small and medium industry, the government will provide them with free vaccines,” said Dr Siti Mariah. – The Vibes, May 19, 2021
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