YOURSAY | ‘Only by adhering to the SOP can we save lives and the economy.’

Is MCO necessary? Other countries didn't resort to lockdown, says Jomo

IndigoKite6964: I agree with Khazanah Research Institute research adviser Jomo Kwame Sundaram.

The virus is here to stay but the worst thing about it is that it is not like the flu. It is highly infectious and is usually fatal for the old and the sickly.

We think nothing about AIDS, dengue and the flu. These are potentially fatal diseases too but they are not nearly as infectious and not quite so deadly. The problem with Covid-19 is its infectiousness and it can be stealthy.

The other thing that is not often discussed is that in many cases, the fight isn't over even after the virus is eliminated from the body. Many suffer long-term effects and some would be disabled by it. This virus attacks every organ in the body, and there are indications that the brain is not spared.

Balancing life with a deadly Covid-19 is a tightrope walk. This virus will attack if given just a small chance, for example, a careless break from the standard operating procedure (SOP).

Also, I feel vaccines is an oversell. It has its place in the regime against Covid-19 but it is not 100 percent effective. I fear many will suffer the ‘dumbo’ syndrome. Many may be led to feel invincible to Covid-19 after having the vaccine and not follow the SOP.

Taiwan has been quoted by Jomo to be a country that did not have a movement control order (MCO) in place. But those on the island follow the SOP strictly. MCO does not help the economy. The SOP does.

Oxymoronictendencies: Jomo needs to come into the real world.

China quarantined a whole city of 11 million people for 60 days. Japan has consistently far higher daily infection rates than Malaysia.

South Korea doesn’t have the pandemic under control and has imposed strict SOPs, and they accept 100-200 daily infections as “manageable”. None of these nations is targeting a zero daily infection rate.

In Malaysia, whilst politicians continue to make SOPs that they then think don’t apply to them, the virus will never be controlled. Until politicians and government ministers religiously set the example for people to follow, the virus will never be controlled.

While stupid people ignorantly continue to flaunt the SOPs and actively seek to find ways to circumvent them, the virus will continue to spread.

Do these idiots think like our politicians, that somehow the virus is a joke and they are immune? Do they understand that many people have the virus and are contagious even though they have no physical symptoms?

No one is immune. The virus is racially blind, religiously blind and politically blind. It doesn't discriminate.

Jetson: The Covid-19 situation was in control after an MCO was put in place from February to May. It did bring the infection numbers down, even when at that time the numbers could have been controlled by only locking up the designated areas.

A total lockdown for two full months brought the economy to its knees. It showed that there are many Malaysians with little or no savings. It also showed that millions were living from hand to mouth, surviving on their daily incomes.

The strict MCO was eventually lifted and the nation was again starting to regain back its life. People were starting to move around. The local tourism industry was getting back to some sense of sanity.

But then, the politicians in their hunger for power, open back the jar and let the monster out. Since then, life had never got back to normal.

Now instead of controlling the designated areas and do mass testing, they take the easy way out by closing three-quarter of the nation.

We have to learn from other nations that did not use such drastic measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic in their nations.

The bloodline that keeps this nation alive is the economy. Once cut, we will bleed to death, as we are slowly but surely heading in that direction.

It is time the politicians learn that before it is too late.

YellowShark2197: MCO is not the answer. What we need is targeted MCO and quick test results. And the issuance of the pink wristbands.

It takes three to four days for the Health Ministry to come back with the results. Other countries have come up with quicker turnaround time. While waiting for test results, you cannot stop people from moving around.

The Health Ministry has apparently stopped issuing the pink wristband because they seem to be a bit overwhelmed. If the pink wristbands are issued diligently, then the public would know who to avoid and the authorities could take immediate action when someone with wristband is seen outside.

Cphangcolin: Schools should be the first to open. Keeping children away from schools longer than necessary does more harm than good. They are half as likely to catch the virus and 1,000 times less likely to die from the disease. (The Economist, 2020)

Keeping them out of school widens inequality as poorer parents are likely to be less educated and not home school their kids. And online classes are not possible as the vast majority of poor students don’t have laptops at home and those who have, fight with siblings for the few laptops available.

This will mean poorer students will be significantly more disadvantaged.

Parents also are unable to go to work as they have to take care of their young children. This unfortunately overwhelmingly affects women forcing many to abandon their careers, worsening gender inequality.

It is important to be wary of the virus, but keeping kids away from school longer than necessary is not the solution. Open kindergartens and schools, enact strict hygiene measures, provide laptops to students living with grandparents or those with health conditions. Save our kids from permanent long-term educational harm.

Brahminy Kite: Strict hygiene in schools? Many schools don’t have enough proper wash basins for children to wash their hands. In some schools, they have to walk a long distance to look for wash basins.

Richer children can afford hand sanitisers but the poorer ones can’t. Some school canteens provide diluted poor quality handwash for the kids.

YOURSAY | Beyond MCO, we need ubiquitous testing and contact tracing

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