MIER says MCO extension to April 28 may be needed for zero Covid-19 cases

CORONAVIRUS | The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) has recommended for the movement control order (MCO) to be extended until April 28 to ensure a sustained zero Covid-19 cases in Malaysia.

The institute made this recommendation in a posting on its official Twitter account today.

The online posting was enclosed with a copy of an extract from a MIER analysis of the pandemic’s trajectory, dated March this year.

The institute’s chairperson Kamal Salih confirmed the Twitter post with the enclosed extract when contacted by Malaysiakini today.

According to the yellow highlighted portion of the extract, MIER said that it made the recommendation for the possible extension of MCO to April 28 based on the projection that the increase of new patients will continue to climb up to a peak of 435 patients daily at Day 18 (April 4) of the MCO.

The institute said that its projection is on the possibility that peak active cases in hospitals will be 5,070 on Day 26 (April 12) of the MCO and the maximum number of cumulative cases would be at 8,957.

“Based on this, an extended MCO of minimum 14 days till April 14 to allow for no new cases reported, or a maximum 29 days till April 28 to include an additional 14 days to ensure a sustained zero-case presentation,” the extract read.

The extract shows two charts with the current figures of Covid-19 cases as well as projected possible figures, among others.

In the Twitter posting, Kamal said that the extract explains why there is a need for the current extension of MCO until April 14, and reiterated that MIER does not wish that the further extension until April 28 would actually happen.

“An extract from MIER analysis of the Covid-19 trajectory. Read the highlighted summary. It is going to get worse now before it gets better.

“This is why the extension of the MCO until April 14 is necessary. We certainly do not want to go beyond that!” he said in the Twitter posting.

On March 25, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the MCO would be further extended to April 14.

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