They should especially refrain from lying to healthcare workers, said several frontline doctors who spoke to FMT.
A medical officer who works in Kuala Lumpur and who identified herself as Dr Naseeha said the need for honesty had become greater with interstate travel being allowed regardless of vaccination status.
“It’s tricky to bar unvaccinated people from travelling as many will slip through the system,” she said. “So people need to be truthful about their vaccination status, especially to healthcare workers, so that we understand the risks we are dealing with.”
She said the healthcare system had nevertheless improved its preparedness to deal with rises in Covid-19 cases.
“The middle ground would be personal compliance with social distancing, masking, hand washing and regular self-testing for mass gatherings,” she added.
On March 8, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that Malaysia would start to transition to the endemic phase of Covid-19 from April 1.
Several Covid-19 rules and SOPs will be relaxed. For instance, physical distancing will no longer be required in places of worship, interstate travel will be allowed regardless of vaccination status, and there will be no more limits on the number of employees allowed in an office.
Another medical frontliner, who gave her name as Dr Peng, said she would prefer it if the relaxation of rules took effect after the surge in Covid-19 cases caused by the Omicron variant had stabilised.
“We need to ensure that this relaxation pays off with as few casualties as possible and our already maxed out healthcare system is not further stretched,” she said.
Last Saturday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the number of Covid-19 cases caused by the more infectious Omicron variant appeared to have plateaued. He said he was “cautiously optimistic” that case numbers would take a dip.
Peng, who is based in Pahang, said the changes in the way Malaysians had learned to live, such as in their improved awareness of hygiene, might become permanent.
A doctor who wished to remain anonymous agreed that Malaysians must remain vigilant.
“Private premise owners need to continue with proper sanitation and ventilation and they should monitor the number of people present to avoid overcrowding,” she said.
“Likewise, employers should ensure their employees perform self tests if they’re not feeling well or have close family members who are unwell.”
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