KUALA LUMPUR, April 28 — Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the plateauing of new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections reported daily indicated that the movement control order (MCO) was paying off.

He said this was complemented by the acceleration in daily Covid-19 recoveries that suggest Malaysia was firmly on the path to controlling the pandemic.

"This has succeeded in flattening the curve and our country is entering the recovery phase,” said Dr Noor Hisham during his daily Covid-19 briefing today.

Dr Noor Hisham said the MCO has helped encouraged the social distancing needed to minimise Covid-19 among the local community.

He said the enhanced MCO has allowed authorities to focus on high-risk groups.

"These include detection, screening, testing, isolation and treatment of individuals within the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), tracking of the Seri Petaling tabligh participants and other mass gatherings, tracking of school children including the tahfiz madrasah and others,” he said.

 

Despite the progress, however, Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia will not be free of Covid-19 until a vaccine or cure is developed.

He said this meant Malaysians must keep up measures introduced during the MCO even when it is lifted, such as social distancing and improved personal hygiene.

"However, the MCO cannot eliminate the Covid-19 disease completely. In fact, people need to be prepared for this for longer.

"MOH will continue its containment and control activities.  However, active participation of the people is very important,” said Dr Noor Hisham.