THE spread of the novel coronavirus is not at the stage where tourists should be banned from entering the country, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“We cannot predict at this moment (how serious it will be). Many countries also face the same problem. We will also have to assess when it has hit the critical stage.

“But, at this moment, it is not yet critical to the point where we will stop tourism,” he said after attending a Chinese New Year open house organised by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCCI) at the Klang Hokkien Association Hall today.

The coronavirus originating from Wuhan, China, has killed 56 people and left almost 2,000 ill.

Malaysia has four confirmed cases of infection, as has Singapore.

The contagion remains centred in Hubei province’s capital, which saw seven new deaths and 46 new confirmed cases, its Health Commission said.

Wuhan and more than a dozen other cities in the province have been locked down in a rapidly expanding quarantine effort marked by transport shutdowns and other restrictions on movement.

The previously unknown virus has caused global concern because of its similarity to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pathogen that killed hundreds in China and Hong Kong in 2002 and 2003. 

Dr Mahathir said the government has already begun taking action to curb the spread of the virus. 

“This is a serious issue as we don’t recognise this disease. We are also not very sure about the treatment. 

“At the moment, it is prevention, not treatment, and it consist of wearing masks and keeping away from people who are suspected of being infected,” he said, adding that the government could thus only focus on prevention strategies for now.

“We can detect those who are infected. But, sometimes, the infestation of the disease at an early stage is hard to detect.”

Dr Mahathir said the authorities are also boosting checks at the country’s entry points. 

On the Philippines’ move to deport foreigners back to China, Dr Mahathir said this would be hard to implement here as it is difficult to identify all Wuhan tourists in Malaysia. 

“They are moving around, but what the Chinese government is doing is isolating the Wuhan people.

“They quarantine those people. This is drastic action and shows their determination to control this epidemic.”

“We can send the tourists back to China, but they will come into contact with those infected… it is better to quarantine them first.

“We are isolating them and not allowing them to mix with others, and taking preventative measures.”

He said the sheer number of travellers was a challenge in implementing action to contain the spread of the virus.

“There are about two million visitors coming in from China. Where we going to place them? If anyone has any symptoms or shows any signs, we will quarantine them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the government has activated 51 scanners at the country’s entry points and that the system was working well.

“I have asked the Finance Ministry on additional allocation to increase our capacity. 

“I will address (the issue) this afternoon at the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma). 

“I have the Finance Ministry’s commitment to get the allocation to step up our surveillance (measures).”

He added that the ministry also has to ensure it complies with all World Health Organisation standards. 

“We will access our needs critically. We will not compromise in terms of safety, and we will see to this till the end.” – January 26, 2020.