The COVID-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) will remain in place for the time being, while the Ministry of Health (MoH) will assess seven crucial national indicators before determining whether to tighten the SOP as needed.
Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, director-general of health, stated that the ministry will first monitor the situation in the country and strengthen public health control before taking any action.
Photo via CNA
“We will first monitor not only hospital admissions but also many other indicators such as forecast cases, daily cases and so on.
“If the data shows improvement in all available indicators, we can discuss appropriate action at that time," he said, as reported by the Malay Mail.
According to DG Hisham, indicators include a sudden increase in imported cases; currently, only three or four cases are recorded per month, as well as the discovery of new variants in sewage samples and high-risk areas.
"What worries us is that when a new variant is discovered, we are not sure whether our vaccine is effective or not. We'll also check with WHO (World Health Organization) to see if another variant has been registered," he added.
He stated that if a new variant other than Omicron is discovered, the MOH will monitor the extent of the variant's infectivity as well as the severity or hospitalization.
According to him, the MoH will look into the extent of the virus's severity if there is a three-digit jump in the indicator of death cases, which are currently increasing at a rate of one per day.
Stay safe, everyone! And don’t forget to get yourself vaccinated!
