Next step beyond MCO crucial – Poon

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Poon (third right) receiving the Jesselton Medical Centre’s 10,000 face shields donation to the Sabah Government from the hospital’s deputy chief operating officer Cellestina Kwan (fourth left). Also seen is Queen Elizabeth Hospital I director Dr William Gotulis (second right).

KOTA KINABALU: Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Frankie Poon Ming Fung foresees a Sabah that will necessitate screening and testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) amongst the people after the end of Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia.

Poon said Sabah is doing alright in terms of Covid-19 patient recovery rates, and the times have called for the government to look into the next steps beyond the MCO.

“We are doing okay, so far. I think in Sabah alone, like anywhere else in the state, half of our patients have recovered. If you look at the world’s statistics, not many nations have half of its patients recovered. Our numbers are there but not growing as fast. We are able to contain it,” he said after receiving Jesselton Medical Centre’s 10,000 face shield donation at the hospital grounds here yesterday.

“I think now we have to look beyond the MCO. We have to look at the situation, whether or not everybody has been tested with the new rapid testers coming in, as announced by DG (director general) in the news.

“It would be very helpful because we are talking about 84.4% accuracy. Meaning to say the testers are very reliable. We have been looking for it, now they have found one, which is very reliable.

“We go on a must screening and must testing. We are not only talking about hospitals doing the test, we are talking about clinics also doing the test. Provided they also have proper storage place for all these things,” he added.

Poon was referring to the Malaysian Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah’s recent announcement regarding a reliable antigen test kit from South Korea with a sensitivity rate of 84.4% that will help boost Covid-19 testing in the country.

Hisham said the ministry had already procured the test kits from South Korean firm, SD Biosensor, and was hoping they could arrive by next week.

“We are definitely moving forward and hopefully when the MCO is lifted, hopefully by then we have a lot of people tested with the Covid-19 new rapid test kits,” said Poon.

Poon said the nation’s statistics reflected a 25% in sporadic cases of Covid-19 asymptomatic, person producing or showing no symptoms, cases.

“Meaning to say among us, 1/4 could be (positive) if you are not tested, which is very dangerous also,” he said.

“I am talking about the general public. Initially, we start with targeted groups who are really likely to have contracted it. Then, of course, we will go on the mass one,” Poon explained, adding that the new rapid test kits should be cheaper compared to the current ones.