BERA: The Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) for the Johor state election will be discussed during the special National Security Council (NSC) Meeting, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said the Health Ministry will draw up the SOP recommendations which he will raise during the meeting, which will be also be attended by Opposition representatives.
"I will leave it to the Health Ministry to decide on the SOP and it will be discussed during the NSC special meeting where Opposition members will also be represented. We will look into the SOP and decide on it," he told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Bera Kemas staff here today.
Ismail Sabri was earlier asked about the SOP for the Johor state election following public concerns over rising Covid-19 cases nationwide including the spread of the Omicron variant.
Meanwhile, he said the recent rise in Covid-19 cases has become a concern, with new cases breaching the 4,000 mark yesterday.
"Malaysians cannot afford to become complacent. Although we might need to live with Covid-19 but we still have to control the outbreak......we do not want to end up like the United States, recording almost one million cases a day, France with 200,000 cases and the United Kingdom with 150,000 cases per day.
"Even if it does not involve deaths, our hospital beds might not be able to accommodate the growing number of patients. We have to control and reduce the daily number of cases until it drops below 1,000 cases per day and enter the endemic phase for Covid-19," he said.
Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri brushed aside rumours that the government will soon implement a total lockdown to stem infection, as well as impose a travel ban during the festive season.
"There will be no more interstate or inter-district travel bans. The economic sector will remain open. I guarantee that there will be no more total lockdowns in the country.
"We will only focus on targeted lockdowns or the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in areas with the highest number of infections.
"Only that one respective locality will be cordoned off while the neighbouring areas will remain open. If a certain village is affected during the festive season, then the EMCO will be implemented in that respective village while others can travel to their respective destinations," he said.