SOP non-compliance to result to COVID cases in Pahang to reach 700 a week

KUANTAN: Pahang is expected to record an average of 90 to 100 positive COVID-19 cases a day or 600 to 700 cases a week in early June if the locals do not comply with the stipulated standard operating procedures (SOP) to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Pahang Health director Datuk Dr Bahari Awang Ngah warned that this would also increase the number of active cases to 1,700, exceeding the capacity of hospital wards and beds at the COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC) in the state.

He said as of last Sunday, there were 5,789 COVID-19 cases recorded in Pahang, which have consistently increased since mid-March.

In early March, the state recorded an average of 10 to 20 cases a day, but the number had increased to an average of 70 cases a day, especially in Bentong, Raub and Kuantan with the COVID-19 infectivity rate (RT) or R-nought (R0) in Pahang at 1.26, as of May 9.

"Patients in category four and five in the state have increased from two per cent to 3.8 per cent, while the number of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has almost tripled," he said in a statement here today.

Thus, he urged the public to comply with the SOP, abide by the 3C rules (crowded, confined, closed conversation) and practice the 3W rules (wash, wear, warn), especially while during Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

-- BERNAMA