Covid-19: Time to take precautionary measures in case of prolonged wave, say KJ and Kian Ming

PETALING JAYA: It is time to take precautionary measures in case of another prolonged wave of Covid-19 cases, say former MPs Khairy Jamaluddin and Ong Kian Ming in a joint statement.

“We would like to congratulate (Datuk Seri) Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad for his appointment as Health Minister in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

"We wish him all the best in carrying out his duties in a ministry which he is well familiar with,” the former health minister and former deputy international trade and industry minister said in the joint statement on Friday (Dec 15).

They added that in light of new Covid-19 cases reaching a yearly high of 29,129 cases on the Dec 11, which is part of a regional and global trend, Dr Dzulkefly should consider several actions in preparation for a prolonged increase in the number of cases as part of an emergent Covid-19 "wave".

Among the recommended measures by Khairy and Ong is to reinstate the Test, Report, Isolate, Inform, Seek (TRIIS) method or framework to alert the public that they should take preventive measures and for the public sector to be prepared for the possibility of a new “wave” of Covid-19 infections.

The Health Ministry should also recommend the new booster shots especially among the vulnerable communities – the aged and those with pre-existing conditions.

“MOH (Health Ministry) should work together with the Finance Ministry to facilitate a transparent procurement process for the latest variants of the booster vaccine which is available in the market.

"At the same time, MOH should start to reactivate the vaccination ecosystem through private and public clinics and hospitals,” they said.

The Health Ministry should also consider restarting the use of MySejahtera for reporting and monitoring Covid-19 patients.

“At the same time, the Ministry should also deploy its data analytics team or work with others with data analytics capabilities to analyse new Covid-19 data to look for new patterns of outbreaks based on location, workplace, and other patient demographics,” they said.

They also proposed for the Health Ministry to work with the Investment, Trade & Industry and Human Resources Ministries to detect patterns of outbreaks among factory workers and to conduct investigations on the living conditions of these workers.

“One of the reasons for the 'factory clusters' that took place during the pandemic was the fact that many of these workers, mostly foreign, were cramped into housing that was overcrowded and without proper ventilation,” they said.

“Strong action must be taken against those companies which still house their foreign workers in poor conditions which are not compliant with international labour standards,” they added.

They also called on the ministry to publish statistics on daily Covid-19 fatalities as a means of informing the public of the severity of new strains of the coronavirus.

By doing so, they said the public could be encouraged to take their booster shots, especially among the most at-risk groups.

“We hope that this latest spike in Covid-19 cases will only be a temporary one but given our previous experience during the pandemic, we should be vigilant and take the necessary precautions to protect the lives of those living in our country,” they said.

Dr Dzulkefly had said on Thursday (Dec 14) that vulnerable groups who are at high risk are encouraged to take their third booster dose.