The Ministry of Health (MoH) is optimistic that the infectivity rate of COVID-19 can be reduced within phase three of the Movement Control Order (MCO), which starts today.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that as of today, the number of active cases capable of being infective was 2,342, which was slightly above the actual target at 2,033.

Although the figure was slightly higher, he said that more importantly the infectivity rate had reduced compared to yesterday’s 2,427 cases.

“If we can bring down further (infectivity cases), that means the infectivity (to) the community will be less.

“We hope that going into phase three of the MCO, if we can increase our activities to what we have done in phases one and two, we can bring down the infectivity rate,” he said at the daily press conference on COVID-19 here today.

Meanwhile, asked about the sanitation process in the homes of COVID-19 patients, Dr Noor Hisham said that was the responsibility of the homeowners.

“For home sanitation, it must be done themselves (the homeowners) but based on the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Health Ministry. The local authorities (PBT) will only carry out sanitation process in public areas,” he said.

-- BERNAMA