AYER HITAM: A hug here. A handshake there. These are some of the essentials in an election campaign.
But with Covid-19 in the backdrop, candidates, volunteers and their supporters are being advised to keep personal hygiene in mind.
Johor health and unity committee chairman Ling Tian Soon said people should mask up besides sanitising or washing their hands frequently, especially after interacting with others.
“For those of us involved in the campaign, we go around meeting countless voters at various locations each day.
“We should not forget to constantly sanitise our hands once we get into our vehicle. And wash our hands before meals,” he said in an interview.
Ling, who is Yong Peng assemblyman, said people who attend election programmes should wear their face masks properly especially if the event was held indoors.
“Let me remind you that Covid-19 is still among us. And as the Health Ministry has reiterated, we must learn to live with it, but we should continue to take precautionary measures.”
A check by The Star at several campaigning programmes in Ayer Hitam, Muar and Kluang in the past few days showed most of the people diligently wearing their face masks.
As for the Covid-19 situation in Johor, Ling said the state was recording two-digit figures daily.
“At present, the situation is under control in the state and the hospitalisation rate is low. For example, we have 70 positive cases in a day and only one or two individuals need hospitalisation,” he said.
