COVID-19: Prove to the world we can break chain of infection - Dr Noor Hisham

With China and South Korea recording new positive cases again, he said the onus was on the public to ensure that a similar trend would not happen here now that the government has relaxed the Movement Control Order (CMO) by implementing the Conditional MCO (CMCO).

“We have to come together as one. If all of us do our part, I am sure we can do it. Malaysia Boleh!,” he said in his daily press conference on COVID-19 here today.

Dr Noor Hisham said he had been told by Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador that public compliance of the standard operating procedure (SOP) under the new CMCO was at almost 90 per cent so far.

“We may have to focus on the remaining 10 per cent. (Furthermore) If our industries and supermarkets comply with the SOP, I’m sure we can bring down the number of cases further,” he said.

He said that empowering the public to take necessary action to contain the virus transmission was among the six key elements identified by the Ministry of Health (MOH) that needed to be fulfilled before the MCO, or now CMCO, could officially be lifted.

The other five elements are border control; movement control; capability of the country’s healthcare system; country’s ability to protect the high-risk group; and the practice of the new normal by the public.

Commenting further, he said although the country managed to flatten the COVID-19 infection curve, Malaysia and the rest of the world were equally worried about a second wave of outbreak.

“What is important is that the six elements have been identified. We embrace all six and will put (them) into practise even though we have not planned the exit strategy yet,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the MOH was looking at coming up with a new system to ease congestion at public hospitals and clinics during the COVID-19 outbreak.

He said the new system would look into many possibilities, including improving the appointment system and for healthcare personnel to go to patients and the community.

“We are looking at introducing an appointment system where patients who come in (to see a doctor) must wait in their car first. So, only when their name is called, will they come in.

“We are looking into a lot of ideas and innovation, (including the idea where) instead of them (patient) coming to us, we go to them,” he said.