Muhyiddin to announce tonight how Malaysia will manage COVID-19 situation

PUTRAJAYA, 2 Mac -- Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin menyampaikan ucapan khas yang disiarkan secara langsung di semua saluran televisyen dan platform media sosial malam ini. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA PUTRAJAYA, March 2 -- Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin delivering his special speech aired live on all television channels and social media platform tonight. --fotoBERNAMA (2020) COPYRIGHTS RESERVED

by BERNAMA

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (picture) will announce tonight how Malaysia will manage the COVID-19 situation.

The prime minister said he will chair a special meeting on COVID-19 later this evening with the ministries and agencies involved, under the National Security Council, to discuss the measures and steps that need to be taken to tackle the crisis.

“We view it very seriously; we have come to the second wave of this problem and, of course, the spike of cases has increased.

“So, we will announce tonight to explain to Malaysians in general how we are going to manage this (COVID-19),” he told reporters after chairing the first weekly meeting of the Economic Action Council (EAC) here today.

International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali, who is a senior minister; Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Aziz and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed were also present at the press conference.

Asked whether the government will consider a lockdown, Muhyiddin said: “Just wait.”

On the concern over a shortage of ventilators for COVID-19 patients in government hospitals, he said the Finance Ministry has provided a sufficient allocation to the Health Ministry to acquire ventilators to make sure the machines are available when they are required.

“The Health Ministry has informed me that there is a need to increase the number of ventilators, not just the beds,” he said, adding that some people suffering from the disease experience shortness of breath and they need to be connected to a ventilator.

Asked whether the government will communicate with China on COVID-19 recovery measures, Muhyiddin said it is not necessary at the moment but added that he believed Kuala Lumpur can learn from Beijing.

He said China has been quite successful in handling COVID-19 and has gained much experience fighting the disease.

“But, at our end, of course, we have all the measures laid out for us to continue what we feel necessary,” he said.

Asked about a Cabinet minister who was reported to have been exposed to a COVID-19 positive patient, Muhyiddin said the minister has tested negative and is healthy.

“He is now back to work. As far as I’m concerned, he is as normal as you are,” he said.