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Queen reminds Msians to be vigilant against monkeypox

May 31, 2022

The Raja Permaisuri Agong has reminded Malaysians to be more vigilant against communicable diseases, including monkeypox.

The Queen says we must protect ourselves, even though we have entered the transition phase to COVID-19 endemicity, because there are other diseases.

Several countries have reported outbreaks of monkeypox including the US, France, and Canada.

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Rise in HMFD cases in Perlis and Kedah

Perlis has reported over 930 hand, foot, and mouth disease cases so far this year, which is a 10-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

The state health department noted that there has been a significant rise in cases since April.

It’s because of the relaxation of activities, as well as full attendance at schools, kindergartens, and nurseries among others.

Meanwhile, Kedah has also recorded a spike in HFMD cases, with over 1,100 cases last week.

State authorities say they reported 5 outbreaks involving a kindergarten, a nursery, and several pre-schools.

Four of the premises have been ordered to close.

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Rise in traffic jams due to rise in private vehicle motorists

Experts say that among the reasons behind the recent rise in traffic congestion throughout the country is because more people are choosing to use private transport.

Affiliate from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research Dr. Kulanthaiyan KC Mani says the Malaysian population stands at some 32 million, while the private vehicle registration rate is at 31 million.

He told us it’s because of a rise in movement, after travel restrictions were relaxed.

He adds that the increase in motorists is also due to people returning to their workplace.

As such, he reckons that companies should continue to allow their workers to work from home, to prevent traffic jams from worsening.