VARIOUS movement control orders since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic has helped control the spread of the virus, said Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The health director-general said the daily numbers could be even higher without the movement curbs. 

“If we did not implement the lockdown and partial lockdown measures the country could be experiencing 4,000 to 5,000 positive cases daily.

“The lockdown has helped us control the spread,” he said at a special briefing on Covid-19 in Putrajaya today. 

Dr Noor Hisham said a review of the measures adopted by 202 countries showed the lockdown had helped control the spread of the virus. 

Since March, the government has implemented the movement-control order (MCO), enhanced MCO (EMCO), conditional MCO (CMCO) and recovery MCO (RMCO).

He said results can be seen after an area is placed under lockdown. 

“After 10 days there will be a reduction, and after 20 days, even more. 

“While lockdowns had helped lower the spread, even social distancing also had an impact. 

“That is why it is crucial to follow all the standard operating procedure.”

He added that with the CMCO, they hope to flatten the curve in the third wave of the outbreak, which has seen exponential surge of cases.

“If people continue to follow the new norm, the economy can move into the recovery phase (RMCO).” – November 21, 2020.