Zahid: Tighter SOP needed while vaccine trials are ongoing

PETALING JAYA: The Government should impose stricter restrictions under the Movement Control Order (MCO) and give more assistance to people instead of relying solely on the Covid-19 vaccine, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Umno president expressed concern that the government was relying heavily on vaccines that are still undergoing clinical trials, even as the number of Covid-19 cases soars.

"The government must be proactive to manage the infectivity rate," he said in a statement on Monday (Feb 1).

"We do not want more people to be 'defeated' while waiting for the vaccination programme to be fully implemented," said the Bagan Datuk MP.

Ahmad Zahid added that several health experts and academicians have shared their views on the Covid-19 vaccine. They noted that the vaccine is not the final solution to end the pandemic, ” said Ahmad Zahid

"They said the vaccine is effective to build protection from the infection, but it does not necessarily mean that those who have been vaccinated cannot spread the virus," he added.

He also said that these health experts and academicians also agreed that the standard operating procedures must be continued despite starting the vaccination programme.

Ahmad Zahid added that if the number of cases is not controlled from now, the country may take more time to arrest the spread of the disease.