KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — Malaysia recorded only two new COVID-19 cases yesterday, which is the lowest daily tally — a good sign indicating that the country is heading towards a zero case and will be free from the pandemic soon.
However, it all depends on the people’s ability to exercise self-control in complying with the standard operating procedure (SOP) as there is no more movement control and the country is in the recovery phase.
The first day of the implementation of the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) yesterday, saw members of the security forces, who had been monitoring movement at roadblocks since the Movement Control Order (MCO) and then the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), focusing on SOP compliance.
Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had lifted all roadblocks, except at “lorong tikus” (rat lanes or illegal routes) areas to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants into the country.
As for the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), they will continue to assist PDRM in ensuring the public’s compliance with the SOP, such as at public and night markets, as well as in public areas, including the R&R during the RMCO period.
Bear in mind, the SOP for private vehicles during the RMCO period is still four people in a car, or based on the capacity of the vehicle concerned, and all of them are from the same house and family.
For the education sector, Senior Minister (Education) Dr Mohd Radzi Md Jidin announced that schools across the country would reopen from June 24, but only involved students who are sitting for public examinations, namely Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM), Sijil Vokasional Malaysia (SVM) and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM), as well as their international equivalents.
The religious authorities in some states have also announced increase in the number of people to perform congregational prayers in mosques and surau, as well as the number of mosques and surau allowed to hold congregational prayers, during the RMCO period.
This included Perlis, which has increased the number of congregation for Friday prayer and the obligatory prayers to the maximum based on the size of the mosques concerned, but with strict compliance with the SOP and social distancing.
Yesterday, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the number of new COVID-19 positive cases recorded the lowest at only two, neither being local transmission.
The two new cases took the cumulative number of infections in the country to 8,338, with 1,206 active cases being treated in isolation.
