Adham: We're preparing for mitigation phase, quarantine centres being identified

CORONAVIRUS | Health Minister Adham Baba today said the government is making preparations to enter the mitigation phase of the Covid-19 outbreak, the most severe level.

"Considering the current situation, the Health Ministry would like to inform that it has entered the late containment stage.

"In the late containment stage, it is to contain the Covid-19 spread from becoming more serious.

"At the same time, the Health Ministry is making preparations to enter the mitigation stage," Adham (above) said.

Previously, he had explained that there were four phases, starting with the onset phase, the early containment phase, the late containment phase and finally the mitigation phase.

Yesterday, he said Malaysia entered the "late containment" phase following 190 new Covid-19 cases which brought the national tally to 428.

Another 125 cases were reported today, bringing the total to 553 cases.

Among the measures being undertaken to prepare for the mitigation stage are as follow:

1) Turn Sungai Buloh Hospital into an admitting hospital specifically for positive Covid-19 cases.

2) Boost laboratory capacity and capability to trace Covid-19 infections.

3) Identify national quarantine centres across the country.

4) Cooperate with NGOs and private facilities to manage Covid-19 cases.

Mitigation refers to measures undertaken when health authorities believe they can no longer contain a virus and will instead try to "flatten to curve".

This means the goal is to ensure the number of new cases will not increase too fast that hospitals are unable to cope.

If the number of cases increases too fast, hospitals will be overwhelmed and a lack of equipment, such as ventilators, means doctors must make life and death decisions for patients based on their likelihood to survive.

Adham also reiterated the health ministry's message for the public to continue maintaining high levels of personal hygiene; practise good hand washing techniques; promote social distancing; as well as adopt good cough and sneeze etiquette to prevent further transmission of the virus.

Track Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia here.