PUTRAJAYA, May 5 — Health frontliners fatigued from combating Covid-19 will finally be given some time off to prevent them from burning out, Health Director General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today, although he warned of the need to be “prepared for the worst”.

As daily infection cases continue to plunge, public health authorities are given some short respite after nearly five months battling the coronavirus since it first reached Malaysian shores.

The rate of daily positive cases in the country has mostly been in double digits since last week.

“Health frontliners and staff at the ministry of health have worked non-stop day and night for five months now, even on the weekends or workdays,” he said at the ministry’s daily press briefing on the coronavirus crisis.

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“All the sacrifices made... now the cases have reduced. Now we see the use of ICU or Covid-19 wards reduced so maybe we can use this one week or two to give them some time off in turns.

“And we can also give them counselling so that they can steel themselves should there be spikes in cases. We have to be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.”

Malaysia recorded just 30 new Covid-19 cases today, the lowest number since the government-imposed movement restrictions on March 18, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections in the country to 6,383 cases.

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The previous record low was 31 on April 28.

83 patients have been discharged today, but with one death recorded. The total number of cumulative deaths to date now stood at 106.