The Malaysian Government has once again called for employers to allow their staff to work from home where able amidst a surge in new Covid-19 cases. This comes on the heels of a recent announcement where Malaysia’s Health Ministry reported 13,944 new Covid-19 cases on 8 February, the highest since September 2022.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the Ministry of Health, following a discussion with the Ministry of Finance and central bank governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, recommends that workers be allowed more flexible work arrangements, either through remote working or through staff rotations in order to minimize the risk of transmission.
This surge in cases following the reveal of Covid-19’s Omicron variant could potentially mean that a new wave is imminent. Despite this, the government is confident that the high rate of vaccinations and booster shots are sufficient to guard against the worst effects of the coronavirus.
According to the Ministry of Health, despite logging the highest number of cases in 137 days, the hospitalization rate stood at around 1,253 on 8 February, compared with 1,988 on 13 July 2022 during the peak of the Delta wave.
A total of 135 patients were admitted to the ICU on 8 February, compared with 1,436 last year. Daily deaths recorded significantly lower numbers as well, with only 9 reported on 8 February, compared with 193 last year.
Currently, up to 98 percent of Malaysia’s adult population has been fully inoculated, while 99.2 percent have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. Vaccination efforts are now shifting its focus towards inoculating school children between ages 5 and 11 in order to ensure schools keep running while reducing the chances of a potential school cluster.
Regardless, the government had previously assured the nation that there would be no total lockdown of the economy and industrial sectors should the number of Covid-19 cases rise significantly. Previous lockdowns had resulted in hundreds of thousands of Malaysians out of work. The government does not wish a repeat of this situation.
