GEORGE TOWN: Complacency has no place in a pandemic even if those who have contracted Covid-19 are displaying mild symptoms akin to the common cold or flu.
"The question we should be asking in this age of #Kitajagakita is how can we act as a community to reduce the infection rate," Gerakan vice-president Datuk Baljit Singh said today.
The public health authorities, he noted, also have a more efficient job to do, by disseminating correct information, so that the people do not become confused over the latest standard operating procedures (SOP) governing the pandemic.
"For example, in the latest spike in cases, are the cases of the Omicron variant or Delta? It is still unclear to the public.
"In Penang, the health authorities have disclosed that Delta remains the top variant there. What about the other states? Should we prepare for an Omicron wave since it is the most transmissible variant? There are many questions but few credible answers out there."
Baljit is also questioning how many times should those who have tested positive needed to undergo repeated self-testing.
"Just how effective are the kits in view that there are over 100 brands in the market," he said, adding that quality control over the self-test kits must also be maintained so that the people are confident with the testing.
"The medical authorities need to effectively communicate with the public.
"They should take to social media and the mainstream media to explain how best to use the kits instead of just asking the people to read the instructions which are printed in small font size."
On another note, Baljit said that tourism players had been lobbying for the longest of time to reopen the borders so international tourists can return.
"The least that the National Security Council can offer is a timeline towards this prospect.
"The better we communicate with each other, the better we hope to achieve a synergy in containing the virus so we can earnestly and confidently enter the endemic phase.
"Malaysians want life to return to full normalcy after close to three years of uncertainty," Baljit said.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, he remarked that as cases continue to rise and newer Covid-19 variants emerge, the role of the public should not be underplayed.
"In the name of being responsible and supportive of our public health system, each of us is duty-bound to declare positive cases to the authorities and adhere to all the guidelines stipulated by the Ministry of Health.
"Failure to do so will only prolong the continuous spread of this virus."
