PETALING JAYA: The government has been urged to implement a more targeted movement control order (MCO) with mass targeted testing to prevent a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.
The Health and Sciences Covid-19 Advisory Group of Experts (EAG) said the government should prioritise mitigating the spread of the virus as it was no longer realistic to try and get infection rates down to zero,
It said all resources must be focused on enhancing the implementation of targeted MCOs.
It recommended that all MCO areas must fully employ the digitised find, test, trace, isolation, and support (FTTIS) system, which includes the proposed targeted mass testing strategy.
PETALING JAYA: The less-than-ideal uptake in Covid-19 vaccine registration so far is because of trust issues, say medical and public health experts.
They attribute the low numbers to the circulation of dubious information including hearsay, and have called on the government to utilise all its resources to clear any doubts and instil trust in the vaccines among the public.
Universiti Malaya professor of occupational and public health Prof Dr Victor Hoe said some people had the misconception that the vaccines were unsafe or that some were better than others.
“When I held community engagements with residents, I found there were still many people who did not trust the safety of the vaccines. They were worried about possible adverse effects of taking the vaccines.
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PETALING JAYA: Although the increased fine of RM10,000 has been described as too harsh by some, the Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association says there is no other way to deter irresponsible behaviour.
Its president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the increased fine will help to ensure that the SOP is fully adhered to.
“It will help curb the spread of Covid-19. It is important for us all to adhere to the SOP.
“If we need to go anywhere, we should make sure we follow the SOP. That’s how we prevent ourselves from being fined, ” he said.
Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin, vice-president of the Malaysian Retailers Association, however said the government should reconsider the move.
PETALING JAYA: Access to a variety of vaccines makes fighting the Covid-19 pandemic that much easier and health experts are hoping that more people in the country can get their immunisation sooner.
Universiti Malaya occupational and public health expert Prof Dr Victor Hoe said having more choices of vaccines was good for the country.
He was responding to news that the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine had met the requirements for emergency use in the United States and will be approved soon.
“As we know there are different variants of the SARS-Cov-2 from different regions of the world, and some vaccines are more efficacious against certain variants. It will be good for the country and globally to have access to various vaccines, ” he said.