The Prime Minister has announced that the ongoing Movement Control Order has been extended by another two weeks until 28th April 2020. This is the second extension since the Movement Control order was first imposed on 18th March 2020.
He said that the current Movement Control Order has helped to reduce the spread of COVID-19 infections. It has help to stabilise the pressure on our medical healthcare system. With the ongoing efforts, he shared that Malaysia has managed to reduce the infection and transmission of COVID-19 to a rate of 7% which is below the WHO’s benchmark of 10%. In terms of deaths due to COVID-19, Malaysia’s mortality rate is currently 1.6% which is below the global rate of 5.8%.
According to the Prime Minister, 1,830 people have recovered and discharged so far. This means 43% of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia have recovered. Today itself, there are 220 recoveries, which is more than 118 new cases reported today.
He said that Malaysians should be prepared to endure the current situation for an extended period of time. It may extend for months before we can be 100% certain that we have overcome this pandemic.
Even if the MCO is lifted, the Prime Minister says we will have to embrace the new normal. Some of the things and habits that we are used to may have to change as we need to practice social distancing. This would affect the way we greet people and we have to take additional precautions in our daily life including avoiding any form of gathering and congested areas.
In the upcoming month of Ramadhan, the Prime Minister said that we can’t go out to Ramadhan bazaars or to the mosques for Terawih prayers. This also means we can’t go back to our respective home towns as usual. Although this is difficult to imagine, it’s a new reality that we have to face.
For parents with children, the Prime Minister has shared that schools will not be open anytime soon and it is necessary to postpone school sessions until the situation improves. In the meantime, he has instructed the Ministry of Education to kickoff home-based learning initiatives throughout the MCO period.
He hopes that the situation in Malaysia will improve with the ongoing efforts and he would like to remind all Malaysians that we are not the only country facing this pandemic. All nations including our neighbouring countries are facing the same challenge.
Prime Minister has also directed the head of the police, military, maritime authorities, immigration, RELA and other agencies to increase their efforts to protect our borders throughout the MCO period. This is to ensure no illegal visitors can enter the country which could potentially bring the disease in.
In his closing remarks, he said that the war on COVID-19 is not over yet and the fight is still on. He said that we are doing well so far and he urges Malaysians to uplift their spirit and continue to fight. If we persevere, if God wills, we will win.
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