A FULL lockdown without plans for mass testing and a more intense vaccination programme will not bring down the number of Covid-19 cases, said Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

“A lockdown must be accompanied by a more intense testing and vaccination programme. 

“The government seems to have lost the plot and simply slaps on a total lockdown while the testing and vaccination program is still left in limbo,” the Amanah lawmaker told The Malaysian Insight.

Khalid was reacting to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s announcement this evening that Malaysia will be totally locked down from June 1 to June 14, except for essential economic and services sectors, to combat the rising Covid-19 cases.

The total lockdown, similar to the first imposed in March last year with closures of all but essential sectors and services, comes as Covid-19 cases hit a record high of 8,290 today, after three days of 7,000 cases and almost a week of 60 deaths daily.

The lockdown will also be held in phases, where the second phase, to cover a period of four weeks following the two-week hard lockdown, will see the reopening of some sectors while still banning large gatherings, followed by the third phase with more restrictions lifted.

Khalid said the reversion to tighter restrictions under the first movement control order (MCO) as in March 2020 is an easy way out instead of a targeted lockdown, the Amanah lawmaker added.

“I am happy that the government has finally realised how serious the situation is and that the (MCO 3.0) will not solve the problem. 

“However, they have gone for an ‘easy solution’ as the lockdown is total and throughout, not differentiating the problem areas from the not so problem areas. 

“In other words, the lockdown is not targeted.

“I think the government must have a more encompassing strategy and what Selangor State is doing and trying to do should be used as reference,” he said.

In an effort to halt infections, Selangor has launched mass testing through Selcare, the administrator of the state’s healthcare programme since the start of the pandemic last year.

Selcare manager Mohd Noor Md Nasir told The Malaysian Insight, that it processed an average 2,000 Covid-19 tests daily.

Data provided by Selcare showed that from January 2021 to May 17, 8,450 tests were done on the Selangor Covid-19 mass screening programme using the RTK-Antigen test.

Of the 2,000 tests done daily, an average of 80 cases come back positive.

The programme offers free tests to all residents of Selangor. Test results are available the same day. The state allocated RM9,000,000 for the screening programme last year.

Khalid added that the full lockdown must be accompanied by a moratorium from banks, financial and food assistance.

“According to the statement, the Finance Ministry will announce this tomorrow. We will wait to see what they will announce.” – May 28, 2021.