With the Hari Raya holidays just around the corner, health authorities in Malaysia are encouraging its people to mask up.
This comes in the midst of a spike in the country’s Covid-19 cases.
The latest numbers from Malaysia’s Ministry of Health show that cases have jumped 87.5% in the short span of two weeks, between 25 Mar to 8 Apr.
Covid-19-related hospital admissions and deaths increased by 30.5% and 25% respectively in the same period.
As of this writing, the number of active Covid-19 cases in Malaysia stands at 14,517.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia has urged the public to wear a mask in crowded places and maintain social distancing to prevent the further spread of Covid-19.
Dr Kuljit Singh, president of the association, highlighted that while there are sufficient resources to manage another increase in cases, people should not be careless with personal preventative measures.
On Thursday (14 Apr), the health ministry also put out a statement encouraging people to mask up.
The statement drew attention to the rising number of Covid-19-related hospital admissions.
However, it assured that this is not a burden to Malaysian health services.
Additionally, the health ministry added that the majority of hospitalised patients are from high-risk groups, such as senior citizens and individuals who are immunocompromised.
In order to protect those of high risk, the ministry encouraged citizens to keep up with Covid-19 good practices.
These include wearing a mask in crowded places, getting their booster shots, as well as self-testing and quarantining if necessary.
As per CNA, Health Minister Zaliha Mustafa said that the community is encouraged to wear a face mask while in crowded and confined public places where physical distancing is difficult to practise.
This comes ahead of the upcoming Hari Raya festivities.
Currently, wearing a mask is only necessary on public transport and at healthcare facilities, or for those who test positive for Covid-19.
However, as people gear up for festive celebrations, it is not a bad idea to wear a mask.
Everyone will be out and about visiting friends and relatives, so it is better to be safe than sorry.
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Featured image adapted from Reuters, for illustration purposes only.
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