COVID-19 infectivity rate at 1.0 can be early sign cases will increase - Health DG

PUTRAJAYA: The country's COVID-19 infectivity rate or R-naught (Rt) which has risen to 1.0 may be an early sign that positive cases will increase, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the Rt value of 1.0 also indicates that the cases will not drop but remain flat.

"Although the cases have yet to go up, it will probably increase," he told a press conference on COVID-19 development, here today.

The Rt value refers to the level of infectivity of COVID-19 that is the number of cases that can be infected by one positive case.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, when announcing the same mater via a posting on his Twitter account yesterday also urged individuals who have received their vaccine booster appointment dates to show up for their jabs

Dr Noor Hisham said lifting of the interstate restrictions was not a factor, but the increase was attributed to gatherings that have made it difficult to observe physical distancing.

"This is how the virus spreads. The Health Ministry always advises people to comply with the standard operating procedures, and has made it compulsory for the public to wear face masks.

"If possible, wear a face shield as double masking can provide between 86 and 90 per cent protection against the virus," he added.

On the development of the National Immunisation COVID-19 Programme (PICK), he said to date, 95.1 per cent of the adult population or 22,258,551 individuals have completed the vaccination while there are still 1,031,946 individuals, or 4.4 per cent of them have yet to be vaccinated.

He urged those who have yet to get the vaccine shots to immediately do so to reduce their risk of being infected and ensure a strong immune system to fight the virus.

-- BERNAMA