One year since first Covid-19 case detected, health frontliners remain steadfast to fight disease

PETALING JAYA: Frontliners have been battling Covid-19 for exactly a year today (Jan 25), and they will remain steadfast in the fight against the pandemic, says the Health Ministry.

"Work continues as usual for the ministry's high level management and frontliners who are fighting Covid-19 at the hospitals, Quarantine and Low Risk Treatment Centres, Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) and clinics," it said in a Facebook post after a virtual Centre of Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) meeting on Monday (Jan 25).

The ministry said the first Covid-19 case was detected on Jan 25 last year, involving three family members of a Chinese national.

The 66-year-old man and his son from Wuhan, China, were the first positive cases reported in Singapore.

It said the three relatives of the Chinese man had entered Malaysia from Singapore via Johor and were subsequently treated at the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

Since then, there has been 183,801 Covid-19 cases with 141,446 recoveries and 678 deaths.

"The country is now facing a third wave since late September last year.

"Till today, the ministry remains committed and is working tirelessly to fight the disease," it said.

Meanwhile, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a Facebook post Monday that the end was nowhere in sight but everyone needed to soldier on.

"It saddens me today that we have endured one year of fighting against Covid-19 in our country. The end is nowhere near to be seen. However, despite the mental and physical fatigue, we all need to soldier on.

"Everyone, no matter who you are, must shoulder this responsibility to save our country together," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham advised Malaysians to comply with the SOPs, wear face masks properly, wash hands, and maintain physical distancing to help break the chain of Covid-19 transmission. "Stay at home if you have no urgent matters outside. Together, we can break the chain. We must be united and together, we keep on fighting," he said.

Over the past year, the Covid-19 team at the Sungai Buloh Hospital had won the Global Health Award 2020, while the ministry also received several other awards.

"These are indications that the ministry is on the right track in the fight against Covid-19 and succeeded in overcoming the first and second waves.

"Pray that all the ministry's frontliners are given strength to face an enemy which is invisible," it added.

On a separate matter, the ministry said the CPRC meeting had focused on overcoming the pandemic and strengthening 213 CAC nationwide.