Malaysia considers applying stricter rules on COVID-19 prevention

A health worker injects COVID-19 vaccine for a local resident in Selangor, Malaysia. (Photo: XINHUA/VNA)

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Citing the decline in COVID-19 standard operating process (SOP) compliance, Malaysian Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin has warned that stricter enforcement could follow.

Khairy said the Malaysian government could enforce the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) again, which was the provision used previously to issue compounds before Malaysia transitioned to the endemic phase since April 1.

The minister said the wearing of face masks indoors was among the areas where there had been a lack of compliance in the COVID-19 SOPs.

He held that the highly infectious BA.5 Omicron sub-variant could be the cause behind an increasing number of recent infections.

The ministry’s statistics on July 12 showed that more than 2,300 new cases were detected in the past 24 hours, mainly in the community.

The country has to date recorded over 4.6 million COVID-19 cases and 35,819 deaths./.

VNA