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Showing posts with label covid-19 endemic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label covid-19 endemic. Show all posts

Saturday, April 30, 2022

When masks are a must outdoors

 


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While mask-wearing will be optional in outdoor settings come Sunday, the public are highly encouraged to keep them on for crowded situations and if they are unwell, say public health experts.They said masks could reduce the expulsion and transmission of Covid-19 droplets and should be worn in crowded outdoor areas like bazaars, stadiums and night markets.

Public health expert Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said people should wear masks when joining a large and crowded congregation outdoors where the health and vaccination status of the people are unknown.

ALSO READ: Mask mandate, MySejahtera and more: Visual guide to Dos and Don'ts

“Individuals with symptoms such as fever, cough and runny nose are also encouraged to wear masks.

“People with symptoms should always wear masks as Covid-19 might mimic coughs and colds, so they may unknowingly transmit the virus to others,” she said.

Prof Sharifa said masking outdoors also provides personal protection for high-risk individuals such as the elderly, the unvaccinated, the immunocompromised and those living with comorbidities.

“Senior citizens and those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or obesity should also wear masks outdoors due to their weakened immune system and the high risk of Covid-19 infections.

“Wearing masks outdoors can protect them should they be in close contact with infected persons with mild symptoms or who are asymptomatic.

“Other individuals can choose not to wear masks outdoors especially in well-ventilated, open air outdoor settings that are less crowded.”

Covid-19 cases were still manageable in countries like Singapore that have removed the mask mandate outdoors.

She said the city-state has a high health literacy and vaccination coverage as well as a lower population density than Malaysia.

She also said the government must pay attention to the children’s vaccination programme as the rate is still quite low.

Prof Dr Moy Foong Ming of Universiti Malaya’s Social and Preventive Medicine Department said while wearing masks outdoors has become a personal choice, the decision depends on the risks.

“Outdoor settings that are not crowded or where physical distancing is possible pose low risks.

“However, if the outdoor area is crowded like markets and bazaars, the risk of infection may be higher.

“Under these circumstances, I would suggest masks be worn.”

Additionally, she said if the individual is from the older age or high-risk group, his risk of getting infected will be even higher, adding that he is encouraged to put on his mask outdoors.

She said Singapore is doing well in terms of Covid-19 with its caseload and hospitalisation rates declining.“They have kept the last measure, that is the mask mandate indoors.”

ALSO READ:Face masks: Is quality assurance certification necessary?

Prof Moy said it is the people’s choice whether to mask up or not outdoors, as there are no more legal consequences.

However, she said they should be accountable for their actions.

“As reporting positive for Covid-19 is done by the patients themselves, I hope they will report diligently and go into isolation.

“They should not pretend or hide the fact that they are Covid-19 positive as it will cause a surge in new cases and increase the hospitalisation rate,” she said.

Prof Moy added that while the final measure – relaxing the indoor mask mandate – should not be done too soon.

“We need to observe the consequences of the current relaxations, especially on the hospitalisation and death rates.

“We should also monitor the situation in other countries, especially whether new variants are getting milder or more lethal,” she added.

She said with the Hari Raya celebrations, people should weigh the risks and be responsible.

ALSO READ: Getting our lives back to normal

Volunteers For Community Engagement and Empowerment For Covid-19 chairman Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said that people could feel comfortable not masking up outdoors as the airflow does a good job of minimising infection risks compared to shared indoor spaces.

He added that being outdoors provides another layer of protection because of the ventilation.

“It should be okay if people want to walk around with their family members while on holiday without masks on,” he said.

However, he said certain outdoor situations could call for masking up such as when in crowded areas without physical distancing.

“High risk individuals and those who are unwell should consider masking up outdoors.”

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‘Unvaccinated teachers a threat’ , School SOPS

 

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Parent groups are not too keen with the revised ruling allowing unvaccinated teachers to return to teaching students face to face in schools.

Saying that these teachers are more susceptible to Covid-19 infections, they suggested that these teachers be given voluntary separation scheme or early retirement.

Previously, unvaccinated teachers could not teach face to face but had to be present in school for other duties.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said this would put students and other teachers at risk.

“The ministry could consider giving unvaccinated teachers voluntary separation scheme or alternatively, teachers who cite health reasons for not getting their vaccinations could opt to retire early.

“The profession requires teachers to be fit. There are many steps to climb, books to carry and long teaching hours, for example.

“So if teachers have cited health reasons for not getting their vaccinations, the ministry could consider these options,” she said.

With students spending two years studying online, Noor Azimah said they want to return to schools and parents must ensure their children are fit and are eating healthily.

Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin said unvaccinated teachers should not be allowed to teach face to face and action should be taken against them.

“These are teachers who did not follow the ministry’s directives, so backtracking on this ruling will set a precedent for the future.

“For teachers who were advised against being vaccinated due to health reasons by their doctors, (this is) fair but they should, at the very least, be transferred to remote schools where there aren’t many students around them as a safety precaution,” he said, adding that an alternative would be to transfer them to district education offices for administrative work.

Mak also said students have lost out a lot from online classes such as face-to-face interactions and participating in sports and co-curricular activities.

“It’s high time they went back to school like before while adhering to standard operating procedures,” he added.

Separately, the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Wang Heng Suan said the union welcomes the new ruling.

The NUTP, he said, had received feedback that vaccinated teachers are overburdened with their unvaccinated colleagues’ work as these teachers were not allowed to teach face to face before this.

“There were also cases of unvaccinated teachers being humiliated due to their vaccination status, which is unfair.

“So we welcome the minister’s announcement because we cannot stop teachers from teaching,” he said, adding that there are not many unvaccinated teachers in the country.

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Wednesday, April 27, 2022

M’sia drops outdoor mask mandate, MySejahtera check-in no longer compulsory

M’sia drops outdoor mask mandate, MySejahtera check-in no longer compulsory 

Photo: MalayMail

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today announced new Covid-19 SOP relaxations, most of which will take effect from 1 May 2022.

Masks no longer mandatory outdoors

  • Masks will be made optional outdoors from 1 May 2022
  • Masks are still required indoors and on public transportation
  • Those who are at high risk of getting Covid-19 (elderly, with comorbidities, unvaccinated children) may choose to continue wearing masks outdoors

 

MySejahtera check-in no longer compulsory

  • People no longer need to scan the QR code using MySejahtera from 1 May 2022
  • Entry into premises will be allowed for all, regardless of vaccination status, from 1 May 2022.

 

All economy sectors to open from 15 May

  • There will be no more “negative list” from 15 May onwards
  • Nightclubs may also reopen

Test & release for Covid+ patients

  • From 1 May, Covid-positive individuals may be released from quarantine if they test negative on the 4th day
  • However, if they test positive or choose not to do a test on the 4th day, they will continue to be isolated until the 7th day

 

Covid-19 travel updates

Fully-vaccinated travelers and children aged 12 and below are exempted from pre-departure and on-arrival Covid-19 tests

Partially/unvaccinated travelers are still required to take RT-PCR test within 2 days before departure and a supervised RTK-Ag test within 24 hours on arrival. They will also need to self-isolate for 5 days.

Covid-19 insurance is no longer mandatory for all travelers entering Malaysia

What do you think of this announcement? Is this the right step forward towards endemicity? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below and be the first to share this news with your friends!

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