Planning on transition to endemic phase completed

KUALA LUMPUR - The Covid-19 Quartet Ministers Meeting on the plans for the country to enter the endemic phase, has been completed.

Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the date for the implementation of the transition depended on the decision of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Pandemic Management (JKKPP), chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Although the government was aware that the public was starting to worry about the increasing number of Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, it will not budge from the planning for the subsequent phase, he said.

“As we can see from the Health Ministry's report today, although the daily cases are on a rise, the total number of hospitalisations and patients admitted to the intensive care unit are low.

“This shows that the health system in Malaysia is still under control and in line with the statement made by the ministry on Monday (Feb 7),” he said in a special press conference on the Covid-19 Quartet Ministers Meeting on Tuesday.

Commenting further, he said, the government has many times assured that it will not be implementing the nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) again.

However, only the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) will be implemented in the event of a spike of Covid-19 cases in certain areas.

"The economy of the country needs to be resumed and the same goes to the education system.

"Going back to the restrictions previously imposed is not a good move," he said.

He said the government has also decided to abolish the standard operating procedures (SOP) on body temperature checks and check-in record books at entrances of premises starting Feb 11.

Commenting on the suggestion to open the country’s borders by National Recovery Council (NRC) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Hishamuddin said he has instructed the Health Ministry, Immigration Department and the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry to make necessary preparations on the matter.

However, Hishamuddin said there are still no timeline fixed by the government on the SOPs on the reopening of the country's international borders as of now.