Selangor Journal
Police officers wearing protective masks stand guard outside National Mosque, after all mosques in the country suspended Friday prayers during the movement control order due to the spread of Covid-19, in Kuala Lumpur, on March 20, 2020. — Picture by REUTERS

MOH presents development on Covid-19, discuss religious guidelines

PUTRAJAYA, May 8 — The Health Ministry (MOH) today presented the latest development on Covid-19 in the country at the Special Meeting of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Consultative Committee as well as to discuss guidelines for the implementation of religious activities.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who attended the meeting, said a clear explanation was presented to the consultative committee.

“I have presented the latest Covid-19 development in our country, right from the start until now, and also projections for the next two to four weeks.

“We (MOH) hope the consultative committee, in its wisdom, will give its views. Any decision made by the committee will be presented at the Conference of Rulers,” he said at the daily press conference on Covid-19 today.

Responding to questions regarding MOH’s advice at the meeting, Dr Noor Hisham explained that he allayed their concerns as well as answered their questions regarding the latest development on Covid-19.

With regard to the reopening of private childcare centres and schools, Dr Noor Hisham said the MOH was considering new and innovative ways on how the centres could operate.

He said the new innovation needed to be introduced before the MOH could make a final decision on the application by factories to open childcare centres for the benefit of their workers.

“Unless they can manage the children in a one-on-one manner or in a special place, only then can the MOH consider reopening private childcare centres.

“But if they place all the children in one place, then it becomes a gathering and a concern for the MOH. Infectivity rate will increase if we use the old operational method,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said they were not ready to make any decisions despite receiving many applications to reopen childcare centres as they wanted to ensure the safety of the children was guaranteed.

Commenting on the conditional movement control order (CMCO), Dr Noor Hisham reiterated that the public needed to have high social discipline and responsibility as well as comply with social distancing to break the chain of Covid-19 transmission in the community.

He expects the majority of the public to comply with the CMCO’s standard operation procedures (SOPs), adding that the effect of the CMCO would be known in two weeks’ time.

“We are monitoring it (CMCO) every day to see whether we can achieve the target or succeed in terms of maintaining and controlling the cases.

“When we talk about soft landing, it is the plan for an exit strategy. At the moment, we are not actually in exit strategy (mode). We are only easing the restrictions by coming out with the CMCO,” he said.

— Bernama

Top Picks

Police arrests French-Israeli man with six guns in Kuala Lumpur

Litrak’s toll rebate prog for Damansara-Puchong Expressway users ends April 1