PUTRAJAYA:Online teaching and learning (PdP) is the new norm that must be fully embraced by all in the country's higher education institutions (IPT), says Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad.

She said online PdP was an important factor to the success of the Embracing New Norms Campaign at the ministry's level, launched via online today.

"Whether we like it or not, online PdP is among the new norms that we must fully accept," she said in her speech in conjunction with the launching.

Noraini also reminded all IPT to be strict in ensuring that the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the National Security Council (MKN) be complied with to curb the spread of COVID-19.

She said gatherings or outside-classroom events that involved many people and difficult to control, must be avoided, besides ensuring that students and staff did not convene in small and enclosed spaces for a long period of time.

She added that IPT staff and students must fully utilise the MySejahtera application to assist the Health Ministry in monitoring and tracing close contacts to the index cases recorded.

Malaysia is facing the third wave of COVID-19 outbreak, with the cumulative cases totalling 48,520 up to noon, Nov 16 while 1,103 new cases were reported yesterday.

-- BERNAMA