Not out of the woods: Pedestrians passing by a banner in Bukit Bintang. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
PETALING JAYA: With one more week of campaigning to go, election candidates will have to be more vigilant of an unseen enemy.
Covid-19 cases have been teetering in the 2,500 and 4,600 range over the past seven days, leading to health experts cautioning them to be mindful of safety measures to keep infections at bay.
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“We expect a rise in cases. However, if the public complies with the health measures, we can control and manage the rise (in infections),” said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah
For comparison, there were less than 2,000 cases a day just last month. And in the Sept 5-Sept 12 week, there were times when there were merely about 1,000 cases.
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While there has been no exponential rise in infections since the election season began, health experts have advised politicians and the man-in-the-street to not let their guard down.
Dr Noor Hisham, when contacted, said the ministry is closely monitoring the Covid-19 trend.
“So far we have not seen an exponential spike. We strongly recommend the public to wear the mask in public places or in confined spaces with poor ventilation, plus frequent hand washing,” he said.
“Likewise, after the international borders opened on April 1 and following the Hari Raya celebrations, we predicted a rise in cases in mid-May but that did not happen. The vaccine worked and with a large vaccination coverage, we managed to control the rise,” he added.
Among the candidates, Chow Kon Yeow (Batu Kawan), Tan Kar Hing (Gopeng), Fong Kui Lun (Bukit Bintang) and Wong Chai Yi (Simpang Pulai) have been infected. Two of Tan’s team members caught the virus, too. Some of them have recovered and are back on the campaign trail.
Street smart: Residents wearing face masks at a political talk in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur.
Doctors have raised caution against poor compliance to Covid-19 standard operating procedure during the election campaign. They also called for the Election Commission to announce guidelines for voters down with Covid-19.
Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said cases could rise further if more people do not take precautions, especially when attending crowded events.
“As we have advised before, the use of face masks is highly recommended at this time when many political gatherings are being held nationwide,” he said.
However, he noted that though a spike in cases is almost certain, it is difficult to predict the rate of increase as there is freedom of movement and the many political gatherings being held nationwide.
“From our observation, there is an increase in people wearing face masks around town and there is good compliance in places where wearing facemasks are mandatory like on public transportation and in hospitals. But disappointingly, many politicians have not been wearing face masks when meeting the people,” he said.
“Our advice is to wear face masks when attending any political event. While a younger person may easily recover from Covid-19, there is always the risk of the virus being spread to someone who may be at high risk of getting severe symptoms, hospitalisation and even death. We have a responsibility to protect the vulnerable,” he added.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics, hospital and health management Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh expects hospitalisation in Categories 3 to 5 to increase by 20% and cases to trend in the 4,000 range as a result of the Nov 5 nomination day and the campaign period which started on the same day.
She said compliance to precautionary measures was still less than satisfactory with people moving around without a face mask, and congregating with a lack of physical distancing.
“Everyone seems to have forgotten that Covid-19 is still around,” she said.
Dr Sharifa proposed that voting centres be separated for positive cases, adding that these venues must also have good ventilation and proper spacing.
She also suggested that a new mechanism, such as an e-voting system, be developed especially for those who are warded at hospitals.
Voters and staff at polling booths should be fully vaccinated and boosted, she added.
Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah is expecting cases to hit beyond the 5,000-6,000 range.
“Hardly any SOP is being followed, as we see ceramah and campaigning taking place,” he said.
He advised political parties, candidates and voters to not assume that the pandemic is over, especially in view of the new XBB sub-variant.
If possible, he said political parties should opt for alternatives such as online campaigning instead of physical ceramah. As for physical ceramah, he said it has to be held at open areas such as a field and seats should also be spread out.
Public health advocate and Volunteers For Community Engagement and Empowerment for Covid-19 chairman Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the number of cases could trend in the 4,000-5,000 range in the next two to three weeks due to the numerous gatherings across the country.
He advised those on the ground to continue taking precautionary measures, get booster shots and avoid public events if they are unwell.
