LEST we forget, the whole of the country is an infected local area.

The declaration was made by the health minister under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Declaration of Infected Local Areas) Order 2020 in exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister by section 11(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).

The minister made the order after being satisfied that all states and Federal Territories “were threatened with an epidemic of a life-threatening infectious disease, namely Covid-19. The minister accordingly declared the states and Federal Territories to be infected local areas.

The operation of the order has been extended over time, the last of which extension was made under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Declaration of Infected Local Areas)(Extension of Operation) Order 2023 to be effective until December 31.

Following a declaration of an infected local area under section 11(1) of Act 342, the minister is empowered to make regulations prescribing the measures to be taken to control or prevent the spread of any infectious disease within or from an infected local area.

Additionally, the minister has the power under section 31 of Act 342 to make regulations with respect to the whole or any part of Malaysia, including airports, ports, coastal waters and land frontiers thereof, to carry into effect the provisions of Act 342.

Lest we forget, the regulations made by the minister under section 11(2) and section 31 of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures Within Infected Local Areas)(National Recovery Plan) (Transition Phase to Endemic) Regulations 2022 have not been revoked.

In other words, regulations under the National Recovery Plan (Transition Phase to Endemic) remain in force. There are regulations on prohibited activities, requirement to wear tracing devices and isolation or surveillance of infected persons and suspects.

The regulations also allow the Health Director-General to issue directions and conditions in any manner, whether generally or specifically, to any person or group of persons to take such measures for the purpose of preventing and controlling any infectious diseases within any infected local area. Any directions and conditions he issues must be published on the National Security Council (NSC) website.

The minister and DG have the foremost duty to protect public health. Under Act 342, the minister has the duty to prescribe for measures to be taken to prevent the introduction of any infectious disease into Malaysia from an infected area outside Malaysia, and to prescribe measures to be taken to control or prevent the spread of any infectious disease within or from an infected local area.

The DG has a complementary duty to issue directions for the purpose of preventing and controlling any infectious disease – section 21A of Act 342.

Let’s remind first the health minister, that the declaration of infected local area is expiring on December 31, and second the DG, that directions for the purpose of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 may need updating on the NSC website.

Covid-19 cases recorded between December 17 to 22 increased by 29.5% to 22,413 cases compared with 17,307 cases the previous week.

Let’s not mess with public health. – December 25, 2023.

* 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.