THE Health Ministry will not hesitate to place areas, even a whole state, that record new Covid-19 infections, under an enhanced movement control order (EMCO) once new conditions to reopen the economy take effect on Monday.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said workplaces and restaurants that do not follow health standard operating procedures (SOP) aimed at curbing Covid-19 transmissions will face enforcement action or even be ordered to closed.

“And, if there are new infections, we won’t hesitate to impose an EMCO on the locality. Not just the locality, but if cases spread, we will enforce EMCO on a whole village if need be, or a district or even a whole state,” he told the daily press briefing on Covid-19 today.

He was asked if the government had moved too quickly in allowing most economic sectors to resume operations next week, ahead of the MCO’s expiry on May 12.

Noor Hisham said there are SOPs for all sectors to follow, including restaurants, which can allow dine-in customers.

These SOPs include social distancing while eating and at the payment counter, use of masks and frequent hand-washing by workers and regular disinfection.

All these apply whether the workplace is a restaurant or office, or on transport services.

As for the reopening of public parks, such as Taman Titiwangsa, which is in a Covid-19 red zone in Kuala Lumpur, Noor Hisham said those visiting the park have to observe the same SOPs.

“The intention of the MCO was never to end transmission of the virus (completely). 

“The war with Covid-19 is still on but on a different battlefield with a different strategy, whereby the community must empower themselves.

“People must be socially disciplined and be socially responsible. If the people cannot deliver, then our fight against Covid-19 will be difficult.”

He likened life after the MCO to living with dengue fever, which is endemic in Malaysia.

“Like dengue, Covid-19 will be part of our community. We will just have to comply with the SOP to control more transmissions.”

Noor Hisham said “the safest place in the world” was still people’s own homes and urged the public not to go out without good reason, even though the government was allowing economic sectors to reopen.

As long as the rate of infection, or R-naught, remained below 1 point, the ministry was satisfied that the spread of Covid-19 could be controlled.

The R-naught is presently at 0.7, and the ministry will monitor the figure as restrictions are lifted on the economy, he added. – May 2, 2020.