With no new cases among Malaysians over last 24-hours, Health D-G says achieving zero cases not impossible


Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah pointed out how it is possible, through strict adherence, to completely eradicate Covid-19 from the community even before a vaccine is introduced. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah pointed out how it is possible, through strict adherence, to completely eradicate Covid-19 from the community even before a vaccine is introduced. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 — After recording no cases of Covid-19 transmissions among locals, over the last 24-hours, Health Ministry Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today expressed confidence in Malaysia achieving zero transmissions in the near future. 

“It’s more important for the next couple of weeks that we maintain the single digit and perhaps aim for zero cases. 

“(Zero cases is) not impossible, it can be done if we work together as a team,” he said during his daily Covid-19 press briefing today. 

Dr Noor Hisham said this when he was asked what it meant for Malaysians after no new cases were recorded among locals, adding how it was important to maintain the discipline already shown to ensure infections remained low. 

 

 

He said among the more encouraging findings was how the number of actual cases recorded was lower than that of the ministry’s projections, attributing the success to society’s adherence to the restrictions put in place. 

He pointed out how it is possible, through strict adherence, to completely eradicate Covid-19 from the community even before a vaccine is introduced, as achieved most recently by New Zealand. 

Similar to when the country faced the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Dr Noor Hisham hinted at how strict adherence has shown to be a proven method against such infections. 

“We look back Sars, MERS-CoV, even without a vaccine today, we managed to eradicate the two viruses. 

“So it is possible, we are planning to look forward then and we have to depend on the public to comply to the SOPs, and if we can comply to the SOPs, we can break down (the infection), we can flatten the curve, we can bring down the cases,” he said. 

New Zealand yesterday declared the country free of Covid-19 after the last remaining patient was discharged and released from isolation. 

No infections were recorded there for 17 days prior to yesterday’s announcement, with a cumulative total of 1,154 confirmed cases and 22 deaths recorded.