PETALING JAYA: There were no new cases of locally transmitted Covid-19 infection in Malaysia as of noon today.
This is the first time in four months that local transmission of the infection has dropped to zero.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah attributed the success to the strict adherence to the standard operating procedure (SOP) among Malaysians.
There were no new fatalities either today, leaving the death toll at 121 for 17 days in a row.
However, there was one imported case, according to Noor Hisham. This brought the total number of cases since the outbreak began in Malaysia to 8,640.
Noor Hisham told a press conference that another 21 patients were discharged from hospitals, bringing the number of those who have recovered to 8,375, or 96.9% of the total number of cases.
This leaves 144 active cases. Four patients are still in intensive care and two of them still require the aid of ventilators to breathe.
The one new case is that of a 21-year-old Malaysian who had just returned from Turkey. However, he has yet to show any symptoms of Covid-19 infection.
Noor Hisham said the success in preventing new cases was a reflection of the people’s strict practice of self-regulation and social responsibility.
However, he also cautioned the people against complacency, considering that many other countries are still facing the brunt of the pandemic.
He also warned that a second wave of the infection could happen if people begin to ease up on observing the SOP.
“The Health Ministry wants to stress once again that the cooperation of all parties is needed so that we can break the Covid-19 chain of infection in Malaysia,” he added.
