MOH: Kedah, Perlis and Penang can be green states if no new cases in 14 days

CORONAVIRUS | Kedah, Perlis and Penang can be the first states in the country to be declared as Covid-19 green states, according to Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

However, there is a catch to it.

According to Noor Hisham, the three northern states would have to continuously record zero number of new cases in the next two weeks. This is needed to pass the 14-day incubation period.

"Although, indeed, Kedah, Perlis as well as Penang in the last couple of days do not have any new cases reported, what is most important is we need to wait for the incubation period of about 14 days before we can say that the area is clean.

"So now we are in the process of looking into it. And if within 14 days there are no cases reported in the three states, then perhaps we can consider the states to be green states," he told a press conference today.

Noor Hisham was answering a question on whether the Health Ministry would consider relaxing the movement control order (MCO) on several states which have recorded zero number of new cases since the past few days.

A green zone is the designation given to areas that MOH says has no Covid-19 cases. 

The government had said previously that they might impose movement control order based on zones, where green ones would have some relaxation in rules, while red zones would see the most strict enforcement.

So far, none of the 14 states and three federal territories in the country have been declared as a green state. Only certain districts have been marked as green areas so far.

According to the Health Ministry's statistics as of noon today, Kedah, Perlis and Penang have zero cases over the past 24 hours, while yesterday's figures showed that Kedah had only one new case.

Noor Hisham said it was important that green zones are protected from Covid-19 infections.

This, according to him, would enable the ministry to clear the country from the pandemic.

"It's important for us to protect the green area, (either it is a) green zone, or green state, green village, green district or green subdistrict.

"I hope that within 14 days we can identify that (more areas as green zones). If we identify that, we may consider to further protect the green area.

"That is our intention in terms of our exit strategy. To make sure the green area or green state is protected," he said.

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