Pre-lockdown traffic snarl irks health DG

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah voiced concern today over traffic congestion along several roads in the Klang Valley ahead of the nationwide lockdown next week, warning that the healthcare system is being stretched to its limit.

He shared several photos on social media of heavy congestion near the Gombak and Sungai Besi toll plazas, where up to 1km of traffic had been reported.

“Massive movements are still going on even though cross-county and state bans have been issued.

“Carrying outbreaks from one area to another will not help in our efforts to curb Covid-19,” he said.

Over 9,000 new infections were reported today, the most cases recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic early last year.

Noor Hisham urged the public to come together to prevent a collapse of the healthcare system.

“Help save the country’s health system which will be paralysed if the increase in cases is not controlled.

“If we collapse, you and your family may not receive the best treatment. If we are more unfortunate, there will be no more beds in the hospital even if you are in critical condition.”

Inter-district and interstate travel are banned under the movement control order, imposed to curb the rise in Covid-19 cases across the country.

The latest lockdown will take effect on June 1 and is expected to continue until June 14.

All sectors will be prohibited from operating during this period except for the essential economic and services sector.

Noor Hisham recently warned Malaysians to “brace for the worst” given the exponential trend shown by the Covid-19 graph in the country.

“The rise in cases started from April 1 and could trigger a vertical surge. We need to prepare for the worst.

“Please help us by staying at home. Only together can we break the chain of infection,” he said in a Twitter post.