With 5251 positive cases recorded since the start of the Movement Control Order, Malaysia is finally seeing an ease of the daily Covid 19 cases for the first time.

After 30 days under partial lockdown, the stern action taken by the Government is showing positive results with 85 on Wednesday and 69 cases on Friday recorded for this week. This is a significant achievement where the average cases used to be hovering anywhere around 150-200 on a daily basis. In his daily media briefing, Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, Deputy General at the Ministry of Health was pleased with the downward trend of cases and was more delighted with the number of cases being discharged. A total of 201 patients have been discharged as of today with a total of 2967 overall this constitutes more than half of the total cases detected in the country.

This bodes well for the country as 32 million of its citizens are eager to get back to their normal lives. The doctor highlighted at various indicators need to be met before the MCO is lifted which included keeping the positive cases under care within 2000, and the public continue practicing social distancing and regular hand washing.  In the meantime, the National Security Council is already working on guidelines post MCO and how the country can manage itself with Covid 19 still persistent in the community.

Malaysia’s economy has been on the doldrums since the pandemic hit the nation and being under lockdown has only contributed to the additional anguish. With signs of the coronavirus spread abating, and the Government lifting (hopefully) the MCO on April 28, people can start planning their lives again. Although routine will defer from before the order, citizens will come accustomed to the adjustments and the new normal will soon become a way of life.