COMMENT | Covid-19: M'sia ready to move to endemic phase?

COMMENT | It has been more than two years since the Covid-19 pandemic started in Wuhan, China, and the world is getting tired of the various restrictions imposed, affecting personal liberty and livelihood.

Therefore, it is not surprising that people are demanding that restrictions be lifted so that life can return to normalcy and allow economic recovery.

Faced with such growing demands, many countries have lifted almost all restrictions, with Denmark and England taking the lead and several European countries likely to follow suit. Malaysia, too, is contemplating a similar move to declaring an endemic phase, although more cautiously, as announced by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Are we ready to make such a declaration? Let us examine the facts and the criteria which we should reach before moving to an endemic state.

In the statement issued on Jan 19, 2022, by the WHO director-general following the 10th Meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, he made several important points that should be taken into consideration before ending the pandemic.