PETALING JAYA: A one-size-fits-all standard operating procedure (SOP) may prove inadequate in efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19 during festive seasons.
For instance, the number of guests allowed for each host depends very much on the size of his house.
A larger home will be able to accommodate more visitors but the same number of visitors would constitute a crowd in a small apartment unit, according to epidemiologist Prof Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud.
Malaysians of the Hindu faith will celebrate Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights, on Saturday.
In anticipation of an increase in the number of people visiting each other’s homes, the government has mandated that a maximum of only 20 people are allowed in a house at any one time.
Senior Minister (Defence) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob also said on Monday that the police would be making their rounds in residential areas and kampungs to ensure the SOP is strictly observed.
Interstate travel for the festival has also been strictly prohibited by the government.
Security is expected to be beefed up at various border checkpoints ahead of this weekend.
Awang Bulgiba pointed out that the SOP will still have to be observed during the festival but it will be quite impossible to adhere to requirements such as social distancing in a small house or apartment unit.
He also pointed out that apart from social distancing, visitors should also wear face masks at all times and sanitise their hands frequently.
“There should also not be any physical contact between the hosts and the visitors and the ventilation of the house has to be working properly,” he told theSun yesterday.
Deepavali is the second major festival this year to be observed in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In August, the nation saw the emergence of new Covid-19 clusters, namely Kurau and Sivagangga, immediately after the Hari Raya Aidiladha celebrations.
There are fears that it could happen again after Deepavali.
Awang Bulgiba said clusters are likely to develop during festivals and celebrations because of the high incidence of close contact.
“People also get lackadaisical and forget to observe the SOP at such occasions,” he said.
According to the Covid-19 principle, he said the wider the movement of people, as well as the greater and longer the physical contact, the higher the risk of infection.
The Festival of Light will be celebrated nationwide but most of the partying is expected to be concentrated in the highly populated Klang Valley.
A total of 2,352 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded in this area from Oct 27 to Nov 9.
Awang Bulgiba advised the public not to throw caution to the wind come Saturday.
“They need to change their mindset and remember that we are in the midst of a pandemic. Adjustments must be made, which means scaling down the number of guests, reducing movement and contact with people, keeping track of all visitors, following SOP and keeping enthusiasm in check,” he added.
Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishyakaran said most residents in his area are prepared to adhere to the Deepavali SOP.
“The only grumble is when the SOP is not clear. But we will cooperate and observe the SOP in order to help the healthcare sector break the spread of Covid-19.”
