PAGOH: The National Security Council (NSC) will meet on Monday to review the strategy to handle the rise in Covid-19 cases in certain states.
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the meeting will look at why this is happening and if measures that have been taken are not effective.
"The problem of rising Covid-19 cases in certain areas like the Greater Klang Valley, namely Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and other states do have my attention.
"It will be discussed in an NSC meeting on Monday. We will discuss whether there is a need to increase testing and improve contact tracing.
"We will also discuss internal Health Ministry issues, for instance staffing and medications that are needed and the supply of oxygen that must be brought in.
"I also need to mention that I have given the ministry and the committees involved the authority to do whatever necessary without having to refer to me, even if it involves the budget, which has already been allocated," he said after presenting food aid to recipients in the Pagoh parliamentary constituency here.
The prime minister said he is concerned with the rising Covid-19 cases.
"However, the Health Ministry has conducted an analysis, which we can see in the director-general's announcement, that shows most of the cases are in Categories 1 and 2 which are mild while cases in Categories 3, 4 and 5 are below one or two per cent," said Muhyiddin.
He said what is important is to ensure hospitals can continue to provide intensive care units and other facilities and immediate action can be taken.
"That is why even when there is an increase, we are still considering opening more of the economic sector. If we wait too long, it will affect the country," said Muhyiddin.