LIFTING the movement-control order (MCO) must be done in stages as the fight against Covid-19 is expected to last till next year, said Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The director-general of health said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised countries to assume that efforts to break the chain of infections will continue until 2021.

“WHO has said we have to fight on until next year. So, the strategies that we’re planning must last until next year,” he told a daily press briefing on Covid-19 today.

He was asked if there is a target set for when Malaysia could declare it has “won the war” against the coronavirus, after reporting just 36 new infections in the past 24 hours, the lowest daily figure since the MCO took effect on March 18.

This continues the trend of double-digit cases in recent days after weeks of recording 150 to 200 infections daily.

Dr Noor Hisham said the government is in the midst of planning an exit from the MCO, which is due to expire on April 28.

“It must be a soft landing. The strategy will look at plans for every two weeks, to move towards a new normal.

“Policies will change. Even after the MCO is lifted, people should still stay at home if they have no business being out in public.” – April 20, 2020.