Staying safe in the endemic phase

AFTER two years, we are reopening our borders fully and making the decision to live with Covid-19 as part of our everyday lives – that is, we are transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic phase as we continue to battle the coronavirus.

On April 1, we will officially enter the endemic stage, a move made possible by the country’s high vaccination rate, low hospital bed usage by Covid-19 patients, and a drastic drop in severe cases of the disease.

Malaysia’s borders were closed in March 2020; since then, nearly 98% of the adult population in the country have received two doses of vaccine, and 64% have had their booster jabs.

And over 91% of Malaysia’s adolescent population, aged between 12 and 17, have completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of Thursday.

Following this success, the government has also started vaccinating children aged five to 11.

Although we have seen a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks – thanks to the highly transmissible Omicron variant – with numbers spiking above the 30,000 mark, only less than 1% of them have been categorised as severe.

Opening up the country completely to allow tourists in without the need to quarantine will also mean that infection rates could go up further.

The big case numbers are a reminder that the virus is still out there, so as we begin to rebuild industries, businesses and our lives, let’s not rush into our newfound freedom without a care for the standard operating procedure (SOP).

The government has made it easier to adhere to it by cutting down on the long list of rules so there’s no excuse not to remember to wear a mask and to practise physical distancing in public spaces and to keep washing those hands.

We must remember that Covid-19 is merely becoming endemic and is not going to be eradicated anytime soon.

So it’s still out there and can still pose a danger, especially to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity, who can die from the virus.

Let’s take things cautiously and move forward one day at a time.