Students asked to be patient, MOH is currently evaluating

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah believes it is not impossible to reduce the projection of COVID-19 cases in the third phase of the Movement Control Order (MCO) if all parties were to cooperate.

Thus, he advised the Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) to be patient for a week or two in deciding to bring home students in higher education institutions (IPT) from their campuses.

“Our advice to the KPT is to be patient for perhaps for another week or two, so at least we are able to look at the latest data.

"If we have the latest data for the first week of the third phase, we can convey the advice to the KPT," he said at a Health Ministry press conference on Saturday.

Dr Noor Hisham added that as the country was now entering the third phase of the MCO, it was imperative that the government tighten its controls on reducing COVID-19 cases.

“Based on our projection, we would be successful if all Malaysians were with the MOH on this.

“To ensure this, we have tightened the measures in Phase 1 and Phase 2.

"And hopefully with our planned actions in Phase 3, we will succeed in reducing the cases. In our projection, it is not impossible but we have to work together," added Dr Noor Hisham.

Earlier, Higher Education Minister Datuk Noraini Ahmad said they would look into the best way to send home students of higher education from their campus.

At the same time, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob explained that it involves movement of big numbers and that it was undermining the efforts to break the current COVID-19 chain.