MOH to intensify enforcement particularly at business premises, restaurants - Khairy

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will intensify enforcement, particularly at business premises and restaurants, following reports that traders are no longer checking customers' vaccination status, said its Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin.

He said the MOH viewed the current COVID-19 situation seriously, and measures were taken to reduce the infection rate.

"Apart from efforts to expand booster recipients, the MOH has also intensified enforcement, especially at business premises. This is because the MOH has received reports that many business premises are no longer checking customers' vaccination status.

"I have instructed the ministry's enforcement division to review business premises and issue compounds to those who do not check the customers' vaccination status and comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the MOH," he said in a press conference on the development of COVID-19 here today.

Khairy said that all states except Perlis, Sarawak and Sabah showed an increase in COVID-19 cases, due to flexibilities allowed for interstate travel starting Oct 11.

He said that six states - Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Terengganu, Kelantan and Labuan - had a non-intensive care unit (ICU) bed filling rate of over 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, seven states - Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Melaka, Terengganu and Kelantan - showed a total ICU bed filling rate of more than 50 per cent.

"Among COVID-19 patients in categories 3 to 5 being treated at health facilities, it was found that there was an increase in the number of patients in the 40 to 59 age group, and also in the elderly group, aged 60 and above," he said.

He said it may be due to the factor of decreased antibody levels against COVID-19 after a few months of completing the vaccination.

He added that a similar situation was also seen in many countries that achieved high rates of complete vaccination.

The elderly and those aged 40 to 59 had received the vaccine earlier, hence antibody levels against COVID19 also decreased earlier.

"Therefore, to ensure that the level of antibody against COVID-19 infection remains optimal, the MOH recommends the administration of booster doses. As of yesterday, a total of 1,823,474 booster doses have been administered," he said.

-- BERNAMA