YOURSAY | More shifting of goalposts as govt grapples with pandemic

YOURSAY | 'After vaccinations and lockdowns, we're still seeing high infections.'

Klang Valley: Committee to mull easing restrictions as 80pct vaccinated

OCT: The present and previous governments are experts in shifting goalposts as and when they like to suit their poor management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

During former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, new daily Covid-19 cases must be at an average of 4,000 before moving to Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).

Now, this parameter is ignored. The requirement to move to Phase 2 seems to be the vaccination of 80 percent of adults.

The daily Covid deaths of around 300 are also not taken into account while the government is praising itself for doing a good job. The current infection rate of around 20,000 a day is not considered a mitigating factor anymore.

The rakyat cannot comprehend the basis for moving into Phase 2 when the real situation is still fluid. Malaysia has been identified as the worst in managing the pandemic by international standards.

We might as well not have any SOPs (standard operating procedures) or MCOs (movement control orders) anymore as the prime minister is not using them to manage the pandemic. It is up to his whims and fancies to do as he feels and likes.

Our infamous lockdown PM is running out of ideas on how to fight the pandemic.

Anonymous 540: What is going wrong in our management of Covid-19?

We are boasting about our high vaccination percentages and series of restrictive and prolonged lockdowns, but we are still seeing record-breaking infection rates daily.

Despite Thailand and Indonesia's low vaccination rates to date, their infections seem to be going down. Could it be that their lockdowns are working or are they under-reporting and under-testing?

Indeed, 2021 has been a year of futile sacrifices.

MungoJerrysBeard77: @Anonymous 540, have you seen the infection rates in the UK? They are having around 30,000 per day, yet life is going on as normal. This should be the goal for Malaysia - living with the virus.

Opening up is the right thing to do. We need to incentivise people to get the vaccine and give benefits to those who are vaccinated.

Enough of this indefinite lockdown policy. Let us live freely in a vaccinated world like other countries now do.

Guglu: @Anonymous 540, I am tired of telling people not to look at the number of infections anymore. It is influenced by the number of tests being carried out.

Besides, with the Delta variant, there is a higher chance that even though you are vaccinated, you could still get infected.

What is more important is to look at the number of hospitalisations and deaths.

The trouble when you are looking at the high number of infections is you think the situation is serious and you start demanding lockdowns. This is not fair to businesses when, in actual fact, most people can work normally.

This is what former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak and Pakatan Harapan have been doing - using the number of infections to paint Muhyiddin’s government as a failure. It is grossly unfair.

Most of the infections and deaths are in the Klang Valley. It is the epicentre. It is because most Klang Valley folks are not following the SOPs (standard operating procedures).

Yet, it is going to Phase 2 ahead of us in Johor, who are so diligently following the SOPs. We are punished for being good citizens. Where is the logic?

Billy The Goat: How on earth can this new prime minister consider this vaccination programme an achievement? On the contrary, I deem this to be a complete mess-up and in all likelihood a fiasco.

After months and months of vaccination, with many aspects causing confusion, you have the temerity to consider it a success? In some other countries, the government will step down. Here, you have a prime minister bragging and blowing his trumpet. Shameful!

Compassion: Why are the workplace infection rates still high? What is happening to these workplaces? Are all those in the workplaces not vaccinated?

If many workplaces are still showing high infection rates, how do you open up the economy? All workplaces should have minimum infections before the economy can be jumpstarted.

GMan: Based on most of the comments here, I’m guessing most are in jobs that can be done at home and are severely deluded that this virus will just go away.

To those calling for prolonged movement restrictions, I pray they lose their jobs or get a huge pay cut, and see how they feel after that in regard to the Covid restrictions.

This disease is endemic and is never going to go away. We have to live with this and get yearly shots to cover the new variants. Open up and maintain SOPs - that’s the only way forward.

Sabri: The Klang Valley is the main source of the national economy and should start opening up. This includes removing all roadblocks within the city. They have not achieved anything. Instead, they have been a waste of time, humanpower and petrol.

The Klang Valley has already been already closed for three months. How many businesses will survive? Only time will tell. At least, once the economy starts to reopen, there will be more opportunities for those unemployed to find relief.

Reopening must have SOPs in place. Ensure the wearing of masks, and even face shields if possible, until the situation reaches a controllable level.

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