Day: June 30, 2021

— Malaysia is still in Phase One of the Movement Control under the National Recovery Plan (PPN) as the three key threshold value indicators have not been achieved yet.

Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said transition to the next phase under the PPN was not dependent on any particular date.

“Many are still confused and assume that we have transitioned to Phase Two… it must be stressed that we are still in Phase One.

“If we achieve the three threshold value indicators in the short term, then the transition to the next phase will be implemented as soon as possible,” he said in a statement on the Movement Control today.

As such, he reminded the public to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) to flatten the COVID-19 curve so that all three indicators could be achieved in the near future.

The three indicators are that the number of daily COVID-19 cases drop to below 4,000; the rate of bed usage in intensive care units (ICU) is at a moderate level; and 10 per cent of the population has received two doses of the vaccine jabs.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

— Sarawak’s proposal of employing interested graduates as temporary teachers will overcome the shortage of teachers in the state within the next three years.

Sarawak Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Research (MESTR) explained that under the proposal, the temporary teachers for recruitment would go through the qualifying test and interview conducted by the state Institute of Teacher Education (IPG).

It said those who passed and were selected would be required to undergo six months of practical teaching in schools during which they would be assessed by the IPG lecturers and the schools involved.

“Those who are found to be suitable will then be recommended and offered to do the Diploma in Education at the IPG for a period of one and a half years on a part-time basis while teaching.

“Upon completion of the course, those who fulfil all the requirements will be awarded the Diploma in Education which will qualify them to be appointed as trained teachers in grade DG41 both in secondary and primary schools,” MESTR said in a statement here, today.

As of April 2021, Sarawak faced a total of 3,385 shortage of teachers of which 1,545 are in secondary schools and 1,840 in primary schools.

If the proposal is accepted by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE), MESTR is confident of resolving the issue of shortage of teachers throughout Sarawak within the next three years.

“We had discussed this proposal a few times with officers from MOE since 2019 and to this date, MESTR has not received an official reply from MOE yet.

“Even though we have not received it, the fact is that, one of the strategies or approaches taken by MOE as announced by the Senior Minister recently is very similar to our proposal,” it said.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

Employees of the Ministry of Health (MOH) who were infected with COVID-19 after having completed two doses of vaccination only experienced mild symptoms, said Minister of Health Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

He said most of the health workers infected with COVID-19 became category 1 and 2 patients, with no or mild symptoms.

“Out of 243,309 MOH personnel who had completed their vaccinations, only 0.75 per cent or 1,834 workers were infected with COVID-19.

“Of the infected number, only one was a category 4 patient who required oxygen, two (category 3), 1,219 (category 2) and 612 in category 1,” he said.

He was speaking at the weekly media conference on the development of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme, here, today.

Dr Adham said vaccine recipients could still be infected with the virus but at a low rate of infection as well as very low severe case.

“Most of those who were infected did not have symptoms or only showed mild symptoms and this can reduce the pressure on the health system especially in the Intensive Care Unit and the (need for) hospitalisation.

“This means that the vaccines we use do provide protection and the efficacy of the vaccines is reaching the desired level,” he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency