PM to chair first meeting of Covid-19 committee

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob will chair the first meeting of the Special Committee to Address Covid-19 tomorrow, which among others will discuss new methods to manage the pandemic.

According to Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa, the main issue of discussion will be the transition to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan for the Klang Valley, which has now achieved a vaccination rate of over 80%.

“The prime minister has already mentioned about this. So, we will discuss the way forward in a more comprehensive manner, including new methods for managing the Covid-19 crisis,” he told the media after attending the 2021 National Day celebration at Dataran Pahlawan Negara in Putrajaya today.

Ismail, who was sworn in as prime minister on Aug 21, was reported to have said that the Klang Valley could now move to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan since 89.5% of its adult population had been fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Annuar said he would also propose at the meeting that filming activities inside and outside the studio be allowed, in compliance with SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

“Currently, the government only allows filming activities outside the studio with strict SOP compliance. I hope to bring the matter up tomorrow so that more flexibility can be given to our friends in the film industry,” he added.

He said the government would also improve the dissemination of official news, especially news reports of national interest.

He said the matter would be discussed to ensure that official media can channel accurate news more quickly to the public compared to social media.

“I think there are some improvements that we (the government) need to do so that our message to the people can be disseminated more efficiently and fast,” he added.