PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry expects the Omicron wave to subside in the next one to two months, thus allowing Hari Raya Aidilfitri to be celebrated in early May without movement restrictions.
However, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said it all depends on public compliance with control measures, including by taking a booster dose and getting children vaccinated.
"It's all about behaviour. I know that there has been a lot of concern about the Raya celebration, but if we play our role, we expect to be able to stabilise the pandemic in another month or two, if Omicron subsides, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri," he told a press conference on Covid-19 development, here today.
On Jan 23, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob gave the government's assurance that there would be no Movement Control Order (MCO) enforced and travel restrictions during Aidilfitri this year.
Khairy said a spike of Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant was not only experienced by Malaysia but also other countries.
He said that Singapore reported 13,208 new Covid-19 cases on Feb 4, a threefold increase from the number reported a day before.
On Feb 5, South Korea reported daily cases of 38,670 cases, Indonesia (33,729 cases), Thailand (10,879 cases), the Philippines (7,469 cases), Australia (22,985 cases) and Japan with 102,275 cases.
"The Omicron wave is not only in Malaysia, it is not a conspiracy by KJ to not allow Hari Raya to be celebrated again," he said.
Meanwhile, Khairy said the country was still on track in managing Covid-19 infections and the Omicron wave.
He said this was largely contributed by the high vaccination rate among the adult population in the country. – BERNAMA