WILL it be a “full lockdown”?

Maqlaysians have been hotly debating over whether a “full lockdown” should be enforced, especially after the country logged a record 6,075 new Covid infections in a day on Wednesday. Yesterday, new infections surged higher to 6,806 cases in 24 hours as Malaysia breached the 50,000 active cases mark.

Meanwhile, de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan said the National Security Council (NSC) will today deliberate whether to implement a full lockdown in the face of rising Covid-19 cases and deaths in the country. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will chair the NSC meeting.

Since March last year, the country has been subject to the movement control order (MCO) in its various  variants, much like the Covid-19 variants. There has been the MCO, conditional MCO, recovery MCO, and and enhanced MCO.

Malaysians generally agree that the MCO is the right thing to do but with the flip-flops, the MCO has come to  be mockingly known as “making confusing orders”. The “variants” are known as “continue making confusing orders” (CMCO), “repeatedly making confusing orders” (RMCO) and “even more confusing orders” (EMCO).

So, let’s do things differently. Let’s move away from the negativities. Let’s start anew.

The United Kingdom has a five-level, colour-coded coronavirus alert system.

New Zealand has a four-level Covid-19 alert system. Like the UK system, each level informs the public what measures need to be taken.

Neighbouring Singapore has put in place prevention and response plans when there is an outbreak of infectious disease. As part of this plan, a colour-coded framework called the disease outbreak response system condition’ is adopted to show the current disease situation. The framework provides the public with general guidelines on what needs to be done to prevent and reduce the impact of infections. What can we have?

If I may suggest, let’s have DOAS, short for disease outbreak alert system, or Sistem Amaran Penularan Penyakit. The system may be colour-coded and four-level (like NZ and Singapore) or five-level (like UK). Each level informs the public what needs to be done to prevent and reduce the impact of infections.

It’s up to the public health experts to decide on the measures for each level, which should be supported by clear rules or regulations instead of standard operating procedures (SOPs). SOPs are not law; they are guidelines, which is why they are more prone to reversals.

Let’s listen to the experts. Let’s do things differently. This time. Once and for all. #doitdifferently #onceandforall. – May 21, 2021.

* Hafiz Hassan reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.