PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia can expect new waves of Covid-19 cases to come and go now that the country is transitioning to endemicity, says Khairy Jamaluddin.

       But the Health Minister said that as long as the number of serious cases in Malaysia remains at a manageable level, the country could continue to move on and “live with the virus”.

       “When we made the decision to live with the virus, we had to accept the fact that waves of Covid-19 infection will appear from time to time. It will fluctuate.

       “But for the Health Ministry, we are more concerned about the number of serious cases than the number of infections.

       “If there is a rise in Covid-19 cases but severity is low, it means we can live with the virus. At the moment, this is the situation.

       “But if a new variant that is more infectious and dangerous emerges, we might need to take a different measure,” Khairy told reporters at the Health Ministry’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration here yesterday.

       In the two weeks since the country relaxed various restrictions to curb Covid-19, Malaysia has begun recording a slight increase in infections and hospital admissions.

       But Khairy pointed out that the national infectivity rate dropped to an RT level of 1.04 on Monday, while the number of Covid-19 deaths remained in the single digits.

       “While there has been a rise in hospital admissions, about 55% of them are in Categories 1 and 2.

       “These admissions are pre-emptive measures and involve mostly elderly folks or those with comorbidities. With more events, gatherings and movement of people, the number of cases is expected to rise. But the number of serious cases, including intensive care unit admissions, has not gone up exponentially,” said Khairy.

       However, he said the recent spike in hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases is a cause for concern, with the country recording higher figures than during the pre-pandemic years.

       He called on parents and preschool operators to be more vigilant of children under their care and to increase personal hygiene levels.

       “HFMD is usually spread through saliva, and we know how kids always put their hands in their mouths and handle toys, which they will also share with other children. They would also touch surfaces.

       “So, it is important for parents to increase their children’s level of personal hygiene and urge operators to ensure cleanliness at preschools.“Operators should regularly conduct cleaning of their premises, preferably after every daily session,” said Khairy, adding that the state Health Departments has been tasked to spread awareness of HFMD among the community.

       He also said parents should get their children checked quickly if they display HFMD symptoms.

       “Early symptoms of HFMD, such as fever, may appear similar to Covid-19. But if it is HFMD, children will develop rashes later.

       “If your child has any of these symptoms, see a doctor immediately. It does not matter if it is Covid-19 or HFMD,” said Khairy.

       Among those who attended the Hari Raya do held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Senior Minister (Defence) Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar.