MALAYSIAN is in the throes of a third “full” lockdown with all indicators showing no sign of Covid-19 infections slowing down. The number of deaths, patients in ICU and patients requiring respiratory assistance have all shot up. 

We are also becoming increasingly aware of the growing number of suicides (officially 266), and businesses closing down (estimated at 50,000 in just the extended period).

Frustrations have spilled over onto social media, where the government is bombarded with increasingly harsh hashtags, while political leaders are lambasted on their profile pages. 

We have been given a vague criterion of daily infections dropping below 4,000 before we can hope for the movement restrictions to be eased.  It is an arbitrary number with little rationale for it –  does it matter if the 4,000 cases stem from one cluster or are spread across 13 states?

Does it make sense for a green Perlis to wait for a red Selangor to clear up before opening up? Shouldn’t it matter if the 4,000 daily cases are of a relatively harmless ordinary strain of Covid-19, or the more contagious and virulent Delta variant?  

While we are struggling to make sense of one PDF announcement after another, Singapore had started a rather sensible narrative of “living with Covid”.

A joint statement from the ministers of health, finance, and trade and industry , outlined a roadmap for Singaporeans to live in freedom while practising caution against Covid. 

With the majority of its citizens vaccinated, like in the US, England, most of Europe), New Zealand, Australia, Canada and Kuwait, Singapore’s exit strategy does not aim for a zero-transmission rate, but a managed infection rate, low serious case rate and continuous prevention and vaccination to tackle anticipated future strains. 

This would seem the logical step forward. Malaysia, like every other country is facing severe pandemic fatigue, as we pass 500 days of being locked down and 5,000 deaths.

As the economy grows weaker while Delta becomes the dominant variant, it is imperative we figure out how to help the economy and people survive what promises to be a worse wave of infections.

Entire industries, vital economic sectors – tourism, entertainment, events, weddings and so on – have been all but wiped out. A second year into the closures, the chain reaction has been devastating. 

A lot has been said about economic green zones. Places like Perlis, which has shown great improvement, should be allowed to open. A traffic light code system could be adopted, with medium economic activities allowed in orange zones, and a full lockdown only enforced in the red zones.

It does not make sense to lock down the entire country, more so after a month of it has proven futile in lowering the numbers. The Klang district, for example, has been locked down since August and is still logging the same high daily figures

Even if we do bring the numbers down, they could easily shoot up again due to the opening economy. 

To prevent that, the health and safety SOPs need to be streamlined, enforced equally and strictly, and based on logic. 

It doesn’t make sense to close a disinfected location for a few days. Discipline, monitoring and distancing should be the new norms, without the need to lock down a location every time a case appears.

Responsibility should be shared downstream to group and individuallevels, internalised and put into practice.  

Covid would become something to be managed, outbreaks better handled, and the economy allowed to breathe again.

Moving into a real recovery mode will allow society to take on the role of frontliners, and for fear to be replaced with caution and gloom with safe optimism.  – June 30, 2021.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.