THE government should provide each pupil with two reusable masks as Covid-19 infections rise, said Gopeng MP Dr Lee Boon Chye.

“They should make it a priority to distribute masks to pre-school and schoolchildren as asymptomatic transmission is highest among this group,” the former deputy health minister said in Parliament today.

“At just RM2 per mask, it will only cost the government around RM20 million.
 
“Furthermore, it will help reduce the burden on parents who are buying disposable masks (at RM1.50 each) for their children,” said the Gopeng MP in a press conference.

It is also a cost effective and practical way to contain the outbreak as there are about 5.4 million schoolchildren in the country, Dr Lee said..

Malaysia is seeing a resurgence of coronavirus cases, particularly in Sarawak.

The Health Ministry yesterday reported 13 new cases and a death from infection, for a total 8,897 cases and death toll of 124.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 10 of the new cases were local transmissions and three imported from Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.

Six of the local transmissions were traced to the Bukit Tiram cluster in Johor.

Active cases number 173, with two patients in ICU.

Meanwhile, the government is urged to explain what has happened to the plan to distribute face masks to every household.

“Although the government said it would do that at the start of the movement control order in March, we have received many reports of people not getting the masks,” said Akmal Nasir (Johor Baru-PH).

“Has the government done any audit to find out if it has distributed the face masks?”
 
He said the new, lower ceiling price for masks should come into effect the same time use of the item becomes mandatory.
 
“The government has set August 1 for mandatory use of face masks but is only reducing the ceiling price from RM1.50 to RM1.20 on August 15. Why not do it at the same time?” – July 27, 2020.