'Two critical weeks' - MOH proposes MCO intensified

The Ministry of Health (MOH) is of the opinion that the Movement Control Order (MCO) must be intensified in its second two-week period for the chain of infection of COVID-19 outbreak to be broken.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the two most prevalent clusters at the moment involved the tabligh congregants and Malaysians returning from overseas.

"So, there are two (source of) infections that we are concerned about, the first is among the tabligh congregants. They have been to mosques or suraus.

"Other Muslims too would have been to mosque and suraus. Although they are not members of the tabligh, they too could be infected there.

"The second (worry) are the returnees from abroad. From the first phase of the MCO, we have enforced self-quarantine.

"It has helped to break the chain of infection among family members. So, we hope that this action can be further intensified for this crucial two-week period," he told a press conference here today.

The government had earlier announced the second phase of the stricter MCO with effect from Wednesday, including limiting the operating hours of public transport, business premises, restaurants and food delivery services.