SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government has made it compulsory that a "reminder" on dengue be given to those present at public functions.
State executive councillor Datuk Teng Chang Khim said the dengue scourge has gotten more serious in the state with 34 deaths so far this year compared to 24 for the whole of last year.
"The state has decided to make it compulsory that a friendly reminder to be given at the start and end of all public functions.
"A similar message will also to be delivered at Friday prayers and tarawih prayers," he said.
He said the message would read: "The dengue pandemic is getting more serious and is on the rise. Destroy Aedes mosquito breeding spots by getting rid of stagnant water at the home and office. Maintain cleanliness at all times and all places."
Teng said the move was to further educate the masses on preventive measures to tackle dengue.
"The usual gotong-royong has proven to be ineffective as reports reveal that only between 20 and 30 residents show up for the clean-up effort during weekends" he said.
A total of 27,795 dengue cases were recorded as of July 12 this year in Selangor.
Teng said 1,612 dengue hotspots were identified since the start of this month resulting in 2,558 cases.
Teng said a joint state level committee had been formed since October last year to address the menace.
He added that the anti-Aedes message had been passed to almost 70,000 school students as of October.
He thanked the Federal Government for providing 80 anti-Aedes teams to assist local authorities.
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