Universiti Malaya professor of medicine Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman said there is a need to ensure businesses reopen without infections going up again.

For instance, she said, dining in restaurants is risky because Covid-19 transmissions can occur through the spread of small droplets when speaking, and this has to be taken into account.

“In terms of SOPs, it’s important to reduce the number of people indoors, since space is limited, to avoid small droplets from being trapped in a room.

“The government should also shift the public’s attention to improving ventilation indoors by opening up windows and doors at home instead of focusing on their obsession with cleaning services,” Adeeba told FMT.

Last Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its updated guidance, acknowledging that one of the ways people could get infected with the virus was by breathing in affected particles.

It now explicitly states that airborne viruses can be inhaled even when one is more than 1.8m away from an infected individual.

Adeeba said that in the long term, experts such as building engineers, architects and occupational health professionals should sit down together and develop new standards to guide local industries on appropriate measures to curb this virus.

The head of the Galen Centre think tank, Azrul Khalib, said there is a need to emphasise outdoor dining so these businesses can have a chance to get back on their feet.

Azrul said places that have good ventilation would make a person less vulnerable to infection as aerosols would less likely linger in the air.

“Brief exposure to small amounts of these particles is less likely to make you sick than prolonged exposure to the virus. This risk is higher indoors. Outdoors, the aerosols evaporate and disperse more quickly,” he said.

Azrul also reiterated that SOP compliance will be key to preventing a further spread of the virus.

“Adherence is key. People can protect themselves from Covid-19 by staying at least 1.8m away from others, wearing face masks that cover their noses and mouths, washing their hands frequently, and staying home when sick. Nothing has changed,” he said.