PUTRAJAYA:The COVID-19 infectivity rate (Rt) or R-naught (R0) in the country can be reduced to below 0.5 in another two to three weeks' time if all parties comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP).

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said after the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) was enforced in Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, the current R0 rate has been successfully reduced to 1.0 from 2.0 recorded in the early stage of the third wave of COVID-19 infections, compared to the previous projection of 1.5.

"Only 649 cases was recorded yesterday and today we have 799 (new) cases but according to the 1.5 projection we were supposed to record 1,300 cases.

"It means that after two weeks of CMCO implementation, we have managed to flatten the curve which is less than 1.5. So far, for Malaysia we have reached (R0) 1.0," he said at a daily press conference on the development of COVID-19, here today.

As such, he said the Health Ministry would continue to enhance public health activities and screening in the community urging Malaysians, especially those in the four states placed under the CMCO to comply with the SOP.

On the situation in Sabah, Dr Noor Hisham said COVID-19 cases in the east coast of the state have entered a declining phase, however in the west coast they are still increasing.

Citing Semporna, a district in the east coast of Sabah as an example, he said early detection of cases was about 60 per cent namely, out of 10 individuals screened, six cases were COVID-19 positive.

However, Dr Noor Hisham said surveillance and screening activities carried out within two weeks had succeeded in lowering the detection rate in the district.

"Our challenge now is on the west coast, namely Kota Kinabalu, Putatan, Penampang and others which are still still in an upward phase, we hope we will be able to control it in two weeks' time.

"In the previous two weeks we have been able to reduce R0 from 2.2 to 1.0. We have succeeded but we have not won yet and we have to work harder to reduce it to below 0.5," he said.

-- BERNAMA