The second movement control order (MCO 2.0) succeeded in preventing Covid-19 cases in the country from breaching five digits, said Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the number of cases also started declining for six weeks after the MCO 2.0 was implemented.

However, he said at a critical point in early March, several sectors including social, education, religion and sports were re-opened, after which case numbers began to rise again.

"The sectors were allowed to open with one condition, that SOPs were abided by," said Noor Hisham at his first press conference in two months.

Noor Hisham said if SOPs had been adhered to, Malaysia would have been on track to have only double-digit cases by May.

Instead, the case numbers rose and followed a trajectory of SOPs not adhered to.

"Maybe there was mental fatigue to comply with the SOPs," he said.