People wear face masks to avoid COVID-19 infection at Kuala Lumpur International Airport of Malaysia on January 29 (Photo: AFP/VNA) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – The outbreak of the new coronovirus (COVID-19) has yet to reach a crisis level and been well under control in Malaysia so there is no need to raise alarm, said a Malaysian official.
Malaysian Minister of Health Dzulkefly Ahmad made the statement on February 12, refering to a World Health Organisation (WHO) advisory which urged Malaysia to take necessary precautions against the virus.
The advisory from WHO regional director for the Western Pacific Takeshi Kasai may cause a bit of anxiety among Malaysians, Ahmad said.
The minister believed if the situation hits such level, Malaysia is prepared to face it and have the capacity to handle it.
Malaysia has so far conducted tests on 550 cases with close contact with COVID-19 infected people and the number of positive cases in the country remained unchanged at 18, three of which have been discharged from hospital.
To contain the spread of the virus, Malaysia has suspended granting of visas for all residents from China’s Hubei province, including its capital Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic.
Last week, the country announced it would extend its temporary travel ban on Chinese nationals to all other provinces put under lockdown by the Chinese government./.
VNA
