Health D-G: MCO Might Be Imposed Again Depending On Rakyat's Attitude
If Malaysians refuse to abide with safety guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government, the situation can worsen.
By Arisha Rozaidee — 13 May 2020, 06:32 PM
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham just announced that there are 37 new COVID-19 cases today, 13 May
Within the 37 new cases, 21 of those infected with COVID-19 are foreigners.
This brings the number of cases in Malaysia to a total of 6,779 but only 1,387 out of the total are active cases.
During the press conference announcing the daily COVID-19 updates, Dr Noor Hisham also said that there are four imported cases reported today.
According to Dr Noor Hisham, there is a possibility that the Movement Control Order will be imposed again if the situation in Malaysia worsen
R0, pronounced 'R naught', is a mathematical term used to gauge how contagious an infectious disease really is.
Dr Noor Hisham explained that in essence, the R0 identifies the average number of people who will contract a contagious disease from a single individual with that disease.
As of 12 May, the R0 in Malaysia is 0.3. However, he also noted that if Malaysians refuse to abide with safety guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government, the situation can worsen.
"If the R0 goes up to 1.0, it is considered a warning for us to take drastic actions. Whether we will impose the MCO again or not, it depends on the rakyat," he said.
Within the past 24 hours, 58 patients have fully recovered
A total of 5,281 patients have been discharged from hospitals since the disease was first identified in the country.
The Ministry of Health's (MOH) official Twitter account noted that the current recovery rate in Malaysia is 77.90%.
There were two coronavirus-related deaths reported within the past day. Therefore, Malaysia's COVID-19 death toll is now at 111.
One of the patients, a 30-year-old man, was found dead in Rompin, Pahang. According to MOH, the case is still being investigated by the police.
Meanwhile, the second patient, a 90-year-old man, had a history of high blood pressure and chronic breathing problems. He was pronounced dead at Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Johor.
There are currently 16 patients receiving treatment in Intensive Care Units, with 4 of them requiring breathing assistance.
