PUTRAJAYA, April 14 — The strict enforcement of the movement control order’s (MCO) first and second phases has resulted in a considerable reduction of Covid-19 cases compared to the initial projection, said Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said the ministry initially anticipated up to 6,300 positive cases by today, but the actual number is just under 5,000 cases instead.
“This means MCO 1 and 2 managed to reduce the cases, as today was supposed to be the peak but in terms of the graph perhaps we have managed to flatten the peak,” Dr Noor Hisham said during the daily press conference.
The director-general said it is nonetheless important to remember that more work needs to be done.
“With regards to the enhanced MCO in certain hotspot areas where we suspect the virus has the potential to spread, this is where we come in to contain the area, detect, track, test, isolate and treat any cases which crop up.
“We are still monitoring the situation closely, and hopefully the third MCO will help us further. The enhanced MCO imposed in certain areas such as in Simpang Renggam, Johor, and Sungai Lui in Selangor has helped to contain the spread and further infection of Covid-19 in those areas,” he said, thanking the police and Armed Forces for their cooperation in tandem to enforce the extended MCO.
A total of 4,987 positive cases have been reported in Malaysia, including 170 today. 2,478 cases have since recovered and discharged from hospitals, including 202 today.
Five more deaths were also reported today, bringing the total to 82 deaths, or 1.64 per cent of all total cases.
