FATIGUE from never-ending movement control orders (MCO) and vague standard operating procedure (SOP) are pushing Malaysia in the direction of a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, medical experts warned Putrajaya.

They urged the government to review some of the activities currently allowed, such as Ramadan bazaars and other major public gatherings.

They were commenting on the rising infectivity rate (R0) which has been on an upward trend since April 10, rising from 1.03 to 1.18 (April 16) in the span of six days.

Active cases have also been rising in tandem with the R0, increasing from 14,097 on April 7 to 19,094 on April 17.

Health experts told The Malaysian Insight that going forward, they are anticipating a spike in fresh Covid-19 cases.

Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist associate professor Dr Malina Osman said current real data and behavioural patterns suggest that there will be an ongoing spike in new and active cases.

She is also expecting the festive season to contribute to more cases.

“Based on past experiences, yes (there may be a spike in cases). We hope specific measures on this issue can be implemented soon to prevent a fourth wave,” she said.

Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association president Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said it is high time Putrajaya reviewed its caseload and strategy – whether to go on full mitigation mode or focus on containment.

“The government has to be serious about the festive season. They have to relook the current statistics and people’s behaviour,” he said.

Zainal also said the government should take into consideration case data and SOP compliance  rates before allowing Ramadan bazaars to operate.

He said there were several factors that led to the recent spike in cases and clusters.

These included the reopening of schools and universities, return to places of work, the fasting month and Ramadan bazaars, as well as major public gatherings.

Apart from lax enforcement, vague SOP and interstate travel are also contributing factors.

He said MCO fatigue has set in and people are also getting tired of talk on vaccination progress.

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme began on February 24, with the first phase involving over 500,000 front-liners.

The government had set a target to inoculate 9.4 million individuals comprising high-risk groups such as the elderly, those with pre-existing chronic health conditions, and the differently-abled, in the second phase which is to begin next week.

Putrajaya is looking to inoculate at least 80% of the population to achieve herd immunity.

As of April 15, more than 434,000 people have been fully vaccinated.

Malina said people have started letting their guard down.

“SOP violations have been observed since inter-district travel was allowed and certain SOP related to social gatherings was relaxed. It is not really due to the vaccination programme,” she said.

Malina added that the government should review the permission granted for activities that allow people to remove their face coverings, such as dining indoors and social gatherings. – April 18, 2021.