LETTERS: Senior citizens and those with comorbidities should pay close attention and heed the Health Ministry's recent announcement to not travel abroad and avoid crowded places in light of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Regardless of age, one should take the advice seriously.
There is no need to take unnecessary risks and gamble with dear life. Most people have somewhat lowered their guard in the fight against the pandemic.
Some say Covid-19 is just another flu virus, while others argue that having an extra cautious approach to the pandemic is akin to living in a cave.
I have a strong message to these people. I value life and that includes yours. Hence, do not be selfish and preach the all clear when it is not. The government has opened economic sectors and lifted the interstate travel ban in the best interests of economic sustainability.
I dare not say that it is 100 per cent safe to do away with the use of face masks, physical distancing, contact tracing and the like. It will be most careless to do so. So, for the sake of everyone, follow the standard operating procedures. It is in place not to serve as an annoyance or hindrance. It serves to protect you and me.
We can all agree that it is not sustainable for the country to undergo extended periods of lockdown. As we edge closer to normalcy, we must remember that the Covid-19 pandemic has stolen so much from us.
We are still recovering from the economic wounds left behind. Some we are able to recoup while there are those that are gone forever. The high death rates recorded a few months back serve as a grim reminder to all of us of the ultimate price paid for non-compliance.
The year is about to draw to a close. It may be a good time to do some self-reflecting so that the New Year promises a fresh start. We must never carry into 2022 the mistakes of the past.
Yeap Ming Liong
Subang Jaya, Selangor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times