PUTRAJAYA has released figures for a new indicator – daily symptomatic Covid-19 hospitalisations – that it will use to decide on easing movement restrictions under the national recovery plan (NRP).

NRP coordinating minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the new indicator will replace the existing benchmark of the number of new daily Covid-19 cases and will only be effective after a state’s vaccination rate reaches at least 50% of its adult population.

“This indicator will replace the existing one on the number of new daily Covid-19 cases when a state’s vaccination rate reaches at least 50% of the adult population,” he said in a statement.

“The indicator for symptomatic cases used is based on daily hospital admissions of cases of patients in categories three to five.”

Figures for the new indicator of symptomatic hospital admissions will be applied according to the following ratios per population when used for states, or the total number of new symptomatic cases reported nationwide in a day when evaluating the situation for the whole country:

Moving from phase one to phase two: Daily hospital admissions of symptomatic cases at 6.1 per 100,000 population, or 2,000 new symptomatic admissions nationwide of such cases.

Phase two to phase three: 3.0 per 100,000 population; or 1,000 new symptomatic admissions nationwide.

Phase three to phase four: 1.3 per 100,000; or 400 new symptomatic admissions nationwide.

Tengku Zafrul, who is also finance minister, said the hospital admission rate based on symptomatic cases is a more accurate benchmark when evaluating the decision to reopen the economic and social sectors.

He said the decision was made based on the advice of domestic and international health experts, who said Covid-19 transmissions decreased in line with the increase in vaccination rates.

The new indicator was decided by the National Security Council and the National Recovery Council in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin this week.

As an example of how it will be used, Tengku Zafrul said: “The Klang Valley, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah and Malacca are still in phase one, and when they reach a vaccination rate of 50%, the indicator used will be the new symptomatic Covid-19 hospitalisation.

“Then, the state can move to phase two if it reaches the threshold value of new symptomatic hospitalisation (6.1 per 100,000 population) and a moderate level of intensive care unit (ICU) utilisation.”

As of August 6, only Labuan and Sarawak have achieved full vaccination for more than 50% of their adult population. Labuan has achieved 84.3% and Sarawak, 71.2%.

New daily Covid-19 cases of fewer than 4,000 was one of the indicators for a state to move from phase one to phase two, along with 10% of the population vaccinated and a moderate level of ICU admissions.

But Malaysia has been recording above 15,000 cases daily since late July, rendering the 4,000 daily target meaningless as the government begins to adopt the position that Covid-19 will become endemic. – August 7, 2021.