‘Targeted approach’ needed to break the chain

PETALING JAYA: There is no “one size fits all” solution to break the chain of Covid-19 infections, says Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said a more targeted approach, especially for “red and yellow states” was needed to balance life and livelihood.

“From our data, five clusters have been linked to interstate travel, and up until Jan 4, there are nine clusters originating from social activity.

“It (solution) needs to have a high impact with reasonable cost and a good outcome. Discussions are ongoing and I am confident the government will make the right one, ” he said yesterday.

On Covid-19 prevention in states affected by floods, Dr Noor Hisham said so far, no patient under investigation (PUI) was affected and there had been no infections linked to flood relief shelters. Guidelines on Covid-19 prevention at shelters have been established.

On the current rise in cases, Dr Noor Hisham said they were talking with the National Security Council and National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to utilise quarantine centres for asymptomatic cases and those with light symptoms.

“Our worry now is the increase of cases. Perhaps locals who can afford it can be placed at quarantine hotels. We are also looking at the possibility of those without symptoms to be quarantined at home, ” he said.“When we see an increase in cases, the quality of care will deteriorate. A few PKRCs (low-risk quarantine and treatment centres) have reported this in terms of food, hygiene, services, etc.

“This is a challenging time for the Health Ministry to manage a large number of patients and we are working closely with Nadma and other agencies on this, ” he said.

The country recorded 2,563 new Covid-19 cases and four deaths. There were 1,128 recoveries.

Dr Noor Hisham said 13 new clusters were reported, the highest number of new clusters in a day so far, with 10 of these involving workplaces in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor and Sabah.