COVID-19 outbreak under control as long as infectivity rate is less than 1.0 - Health DG

He said that before the first phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) was implemented, the infectivity rate, which is quantified by a figure called ‘RO’ and pronounced ‘R-Naught’, in Malaysia was 3.55 while the rate on April 14 was 1.0.

“When we look at our action now, which is the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), we expect the RO to remain at less than 1.0,” he said when asked about the projection by the Ministry of Health (MOH) when the majority of the economic sector begins operation on Monday.

He said at the daily press conference on COVID-19 here today that the ministry would monitor in detail changes to the RO on a daily basis.

Dr Noor Hisham said that if businesses operating from Monday did not comply with the MOH’s standard operating procedure (SOP), enforcement measures would be implemented and their premises would be closed.

Citing an example, he said that if there was an outbreak of COVID-19 among workers in a factory, the MOH would implement the Enhanced MCO (EMCO), which would not only be limited to the said location but might be expanded to cover a village, sub-district, district or state if necessary.

“Compared with other countries, they have removed border controls. We (Malaysia) have not... Malaysians coming back will have to undergo compulsory quarantine and screening. That is still ongoing and will be enhanced instead of removing border control,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham stressed that the MCO was put in place not to end the transmission of the virus, but to flatten the curve, and the country had succeeded in doing so.

The new strategy is bringing the community and individuals together and empower them to look into social discipline and responsibility, he said.

Therefore, Dr Noor Hisham urged the public to come together and comply with social responsibility that is crucial in breaking the chain of COVID-19 transmission.