PETALING JAYA: Schools may be allowed to reopen and Malaysians may be able to socialise soon, if the total number of new Covid-19 cases remain low as it has for the past week.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the week since the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration on May 24 has been encouraging, concerning the number of new cases.
He said although there had been worries the number of new cases would spike during the festive period due to travelling and visiting, this has not been the case.
He added if the trend continues over the next week, the ministry would recommend to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Nasional Security Council (NSC) to lift more restrictions that are in place.
“We will monitor the situation for another week, and if the number of cases remain under control with daily double-digits, we will advice the NSC and the prime minister to provide more relaxation.
“This will be for sectors such as social, sports and education. We will discuss the matter soon and take the appropriate actions,” he said in his daily Covid-19 press conference in Putrajaya yesterday.
As of yesterday, a total of 7,857 cases have been reported in the country, with 38 new cases, of which only six were locally transmitted involving Malaysians.
Noor Hisham’s statement comes as a huge boost for Malaysians, who have been under various forms of the movement control order (MCO) since March 18, which is aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus.
Since then, several sectors have been allowed to resume operations, as the government looks to restart the economy, amid economic and employment concerns.
The conditional MCO, which allows most businesses to operate with strict conditions, is scheduled to end on June 9, unless there is a further extension.
On whether childcare centres would be allowed to reopen, with many parents now returning to work, Noor Hisham said the matter would be deliberated in today’s NSC meeting before a decision is made.
“The proposed SOPs will be tabled tomorrow. If NSC approves, then the Health Ministry will allow. The question of when the centres will be allowed to resume operations is up to NSC to decide,” he said.
