KUALA LUMPUR – The government will focus on one general Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP), which can be enforced through the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), and nine guidelines.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the general SOP is related to fixed measures to control the spread of Covid-19, such as wearing masks, ventilation guides, MySejahtera app check-ins and fully vaccinated status.
He said the nine guidelines, meanwhile, comprise activities in various sectors.
“These guidelines cannot be enforced but it is the responsibility of the people to understand and practise them as best as possible,” he told a special media conference at Wisma Pertahanan here today.
“For now, a proposal paper for a general SOP covering nine guidelines related to Covid-19 has been completed and will be presented to the Covid-19 Pandemic Management Special Committee chaired by Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob).
“If the committee agrees to it, it will be announced. This matter is important because we are making various SOP relaxations and they must be complied with,” he said.
He said this is to make it easier to understand the existing SOPs, with the hopes the people will be disciplined and comply with them.
Hishammuddin said that he had previously stated that he wanted to simplify the SOPs so that they are easily understood by the public, especially with the country moving towards the endemic phase.
He said the public must play its role together with the authorities by refraining from doing things that could increase the risk of infections.
“This is in line with the third focus of the government’s plan to move towards the endemic phase, namely community empowerment,” he said.
Hishammuddin said the other two focuses are targeted control and good virus awareness.
“I want to remind the people not to be complacent in taking advantage of relaxations given,” he said.
In September, the government streamlined the SOP on Covid-19 from 181 to just 10 for it to be easily understood by the public, industry stakeholders and enforcement agencies. – Bernama, October 18, 2021
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