Dr Dzulkefly: Lockdown Is Only A Temporary Measure That Is Pointless Without Mass Testing & Faster Vaccination

At a press conference on 19 May, Selangor Task Force Covid-19 chairman, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that they will not oppose a full lockdown if the government insists but added that it would be pointless if additional measures are not implemented.

“Selangor is not the worst case of Covid-19 because this state ranks fourth after Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak in terms of population ratio,” he said.

“We want a lockdown that is more targeted and more effective. We cannot just sit around during that lockdown period without improving and taking additional measures like mass testing.”

He went on to explain that even though the numbers are high at the moment, Selangor cannot be said to be the worst state, and added that MOH needs to look in terms of the ratio of infection to the population.

“If the MCO is implemented fully, Selangor will be a victim in terms of industry and activities of the people. This is not fair.”

“Don’t make ‘lockdown’ an easy way out because of our failure to manage PKP 2.0, for example. The number of deaths is also increasing day by day,” he said, adding that the state health services sector is still able to accommodate the number of patients at this time by increasing the number of ICU beds and ventilators.

Meanwhile, Selangor Health, Welfare, Women Empowerment and Family executive council Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said that MCO 3.0 should be a targeted effort instead of putting the entire state under a lockdown, adding that intensified Covid-19 testing and getting more people vaccinated should also be a part of the strategy.

“If we have a choice, we do not want a lockdown. But if we are instructed to do so by the federal government under the Emergency Ordinance, we will abide by it,” she said, according to NST.

Malaysia recorded an all-time high of 6,806 cases on 20 May with Selangor reporting a whopping 2,277 cases.

Also read: Malaysia Hits All-Time High With 6,075 Covid-19 Cases, Selangor Still At Top Spot