People wearing face masks as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19 wait for a bus in Kuala Lumpur May 31, 2021. — Picture by Firdaus Latif
KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today introduced a four-phase National Recovery Plan with three specific threshold indicators that will decide if and when Covid-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted in stages.
Each of these phases, Muhyiddin said, will be based on thresholds that will look at the daily Covid-19 case average numbers, the capacity of the public health system, and the vaccination rate of the general population.
“This phased approach begins with Phase One which is the implementation of a nationwide movement control order that is in effect now with Covid-19 cases numbers that are still high, the public health system which is at a critical level, and a vaccination rate which is still low,” he said during a speech broadcast over national television this evening.
Muhyiddin said each phase will see more restrictions towards economic activities and the social sector ease up as each of these thresholds reach a more satisfactory level, with the fourth and final phase expected to be imposed only towards the end of the year.
Under this plan, Malaysia is currently under Phase One, which will move to Phase Two by July if new cases dip to under 4,000, vaccination rate reaches 10 per cent, and intensive care unit’s usage falls to “moderate” level.
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