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Khairy Jamaluddin, has started on the right note as the new Health Minister, promising to be transparent and to provide more detailed Covid-19 data to the public while addressing several pressing problems and initiatives to intensify the Covid-19 operations by allocating more vaccines, manpower and medical equipment to five states – Sabah, Johor, Kedah, Penang, and Kelantan – which are recording a rapid rise in daily Covid-19 cases.

However, there is one urgent problem which Khairy has omitted in his maiden media conference as Health Minister – the escalating daily new Covid-19 cases and record-high deaths in the midst of increasing vaccination rates.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 18,762 daily new Covid-19 cases and 278 Covid-19 deaths.

There are no signs of a falling trend in the escalating daily new Covid-19 cases and record-high deaths since June 15, when the National Recovery Plan was announced, when there were 5,419 daily new Covid-19 cases and 101 Covid-19 deaths, with the cumulative total of 667,976 Covid-19 cases and 4,069 Covid-19 deaths.

This would mean that since the announcement of the National Recovery Plan on June 15, 2021, Covid-19 cases had increased 2.64 times while Covid-19 deaths had increased 4.2 times.

Daily new Covid-19 cases passed the 20,000-mark on August 5.

Since then, there had been 18 days with daily new cases over 20,000 (reaching a peak of 24,599 on 26th August), six days from 19,000-20,000 and two days each from 18,000-19,000 and 17,000-18,000 cases.

Are new Covid-19 cases and Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia rising or falling?

Covid-19 cases and Covid-19 deaths are on the very high side but we are unable to say whether they are now rising or falling.

In view of the incubation period for Covid-19 is thought to extend to 14 days, it is only fair to wait for 14 days before any judgment is made of Khairy’s takeover of the Health Ministry with the attendant new policy, strategy and approach in the war against the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are likely to overtake two other nations, Iraq and Netherlands, to be ranked No. 21 among nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases when we mark our 58th Malaysia Day on 16th September 2021.

We will pass the 17,000-mark for Covid-19 deaths today and will pass the 20,000-mark on our 58th Malaysia Day.

Will the end of the month see Malaysia on a trajectory of decline both for daily new
Covid-19 cases and Covid-19 deaths?

We will give Khairy one month for his first test as the new Health Minister.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 2nd September 2021)

Khairy perlu mengatasi masalah kes yang terus meningkat dan angka kematian akibat Covid-19 yang sering memecah rekod walaupun dengan kadar vaksinasi yang sedang meningkat

Khairy Jamaluddin telah bermula dengan cara yang tepat sebagai seorang Menteri Kesihatan dengan berjanji untuk menjadi lebih telus, memberikan maklumat Covid-19 yang lebih terperinci kepada orang ramai, dan memulakan inisiatif untuk meningkatkan operasi Covid-19 dengan memperuntukan lebih banyak vaksin, tenaga kerja, dan peralatan perubatan ke lima negeri — Sabah, Johor, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, dan Kelantan — yang sedang mencatatkan peningkatan mendadak kes Covid-19.

Namun begitu, terdapat satu perkara mendesak yang tidak disebut oleh Khairy dalam sidang media pertama beliau sebagai Menteri Kesihatan — kadar kes baharu dan kematian harian akibat Covid-19 yang tinggi walaupun dengan kadar vaksinasi yang sudah tinggi dalam negara.

Semalam, negara kita mencatatkan 18,762 kes baharu dan 278 kematian akibat Covid-19.

Masih belum ada tanda-tanda tren penurunan peningkatan kes harian dan kematian sejak dari pengumuman Pelan Pemulihan Negara pada 15 Jun, di mana negara kita mencatatkan 5,419 kes, 101 kematian akibat Covid-19, 667,976 kes terkumpul dan 4,069 kematian terkumpul akibat Covid-19.

Perkara ini bermakna, sejak pengumuman Pelan Pemulihan Negara, kes Covid-19 telah meningkat 2.64 kali ganda dan kematian pula meningkat 4.2 kali ganda.

Angka harian kes Covid-19 melepasi paras 20,000 kes pada 5 Ogos.

Sejak daripada hari tersebut, terdapat 18 hari dengan jumlah kes melebihi paras 20,000 kes (mencecah kemuncak 24,599 kes pada 26 Ogos), enam hari dengan kes di antara 19,000 ke 20,000, dan dua hari masing-masing untuk 18,000 ke 19,000 dan 17,000 ke 18,000 kes.

Adakah angka kes baharu dan kematian akibat Covid-19 sedang meningkat atau menurun?

Angka-angka ini tinggi, tetapi kita tidak dapat memastikan sama ada ia sedang meningkat atau menurun.

Memandangkan terdapat tempoh inkubasi 14 hari untuk Covid-19, hanya adil untuk kita menunggu 14 hari sebelum menilai Khairy sebagai Menteri Kesihatan dengan dasar, strategi, dan pedekatan baharu dalam memerangi wabak Covid-19.

Kita berkemungkinan akan mengatasi dua lagi negara, Iraq dan Belanda, dengan lebih banyak kes terkumpul di tempat ke-21 apabila kita meraikan Hari Malaysia ke-58 pada 16 September 2021.

Adakah kita akan melepasi paras 17,000 kematian hari ini dan melepasi paras 20,000 kematian pada Hari Malaysia ke-58?

Adakah Malaysia akan berada dalam hala tuju penurunan kes dan kadar kematian akibat Covid-19 dalam penghujung bulan ini?

Kita berikan Khairy satu bulan sebagai Menteri Kesihatan baharu.

(Kenyataan media Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 2 September 2021)