KUALA LUMPUR – The government has been advised not to rush the announcement of looser restrictions for those who have been fully vaccinated, fearing a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Deputy Health Director-General (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim said the government ought to learn from the mistakes of several other countries, which saw a sudden surge of infections upon the relaxation of certain health measures.
His remarks come ahead of an impending announcement by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on more lenient standard operating procedures (SOPs) for inoculated individuals.
“If we look at the high vaccination rates of other countries, they gave benefits to those who have been immunised. In hindsight, if we look back at that decision, the relaxation (of SOPs) was given too soon, which is why they saw a spike in infections.
“We must learn from these countries. Yes, those with two doses will be better protected, but it (loosening of curbs) must not be implemented hastily,” he told a press conference today.
Dr Hishamshah said a number of conditions must be met first before any relaxation of SOPs can be considered, including achieving a high vaccination rate nationwide of about 50%.
Additionally, he said adherence to SOPs among the public must remain high – including the continued usage of masks and social distancing – due to the highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant.
Muhyiddin had said yesterday that an announcement will be made by tomorrow on the relaxation of restrictions for fully vaccinated individuals, including the possibility of travelling interstate and visiting family members.
On a separate matter, Dr Hishamshah said Covid-19 cases in the country are likely to peak at the end of the month before slowly decreasing, as the number of Malaysians immunised would have increased significantly by then.
He said this is based on the Health Ministry’s projection, with the country set to achieve herd immunity (80% vaccinated) by the end of October.
“The same thing has happened in Labuan and Sarawak where the rate of vaccination is high, and the number of new infections have decreased.
“What’s more important is that the rate of patients warded in the intensive care unit, hospitalised, or dying of the virus has shown a significant decrease. We expect the same to happen in the peninsula, but it takes a bit of time.
“Our staff in hospitals are trying their level best at the moment, working round the clock. We hope they can still persevere in the next couple of weeks. We need a little more time, before seeing numbers go down dramatically.”
Dr Hishamshah also noted that of the 20,596 cases registered yesterday, only 0.9% are in Category 4 and 5, showing severe symptoms of Covid-19, with a further 1% in Category 3.
“With the increase in vaccines being administered, we expect to bring down these numbers even more,” he said, adding that the delay in achieving herd immunity in Klang Valley is due to the high population density. – The Vibes, August 6, 2021
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