COVID-19 No Longer A Global Health Emergency, How’s Malaysia Faring?
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the Covid-19 threat is still there and the emergency status can be reinstated when the situation changes.
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WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency.
The decision was made after the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended Tedros declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern.
However, this does not mean that the threat of Covid-19 is over.
Tedros warned that the Covid-19 virus still poses a significant threat and the removal of the highest level of alert did not mean the danger has ended.
The emergency status could be reinstated if the situation changed. It is up to all countries to continue practising the necessary precautions in place to halt the spread of the infection and manage it alongside other infectious diseases.
The worst thing any country can do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
According to WHO data, the Covid death rate has slowed from a peak of more than 10,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 in the week to 24 April 2023.
Tedros also said at least seven million people died in the pandemic, but the true figure was likely closer to 20 million deaths.
This virus is here to stay. It is still killing, and it’s still changing. The risk remains of new variants emerging that cause new surges in cases and deaths.
WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Tedros’s full opening remarks at the media briefing on 5 May can be read on WHO’s website.
What’s the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia?
According to the Health Ministry (KKM), there are 4,963 Covid-19 cases reported in the country from 23 April 2023 to 29 April 2023.
As expected, there is about a 3% rise in cases due to the holiday season, as compared to 4,817 cases reported from 16 April 2023 to 22 April 2023.
As of 29 April, around 33 Covid-19 clusters are still active.
KKM said the situation is under control and reminded everyone to follow the necessary hygiene SOPs.
Based on KKM’s Facebook post on 3 May, the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) under Act 342 is still in force.
Individuals who test positive for Covid-19 need to undergo mandatory quarantine for 7 days.
However, they can be granted an early discharge if the Covid-19 test result, taken under the supervision of a medical practitioner, shows a negative result on the fourth day of infection.
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