As More Factories Set To Close Azmin Gripes

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International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali has shown signs of disagreement with calls for more factories to close in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Last night, Azmin backed one Twitter user @ravin_surandran who said most new Covid-19 cases are the result of "sporadic" spread and not factories.
"We should open up as much as possible. Many people aren't getting their facts right. Factories are not the issue," wrote @ravin_surandran, to which Azmin responded, "Spot on".

Two hours later, Azmin took to Twitter again, this time citing Dr David Nabarro, Special Envoy on Covid-19 for the World Health Organisation (WHO), stating that the WHO does not advocate lockdowns, except as a last resort to buy time.

Instead, Azmin said that a "pragmatic" and "flexible" approach to managing the pandemic should be adopted instead.
"WHO has warned world economies against lockdowns due to extreme economic damage, particularly affecting those in the lower-income group.
"At the same time, the government remains steadfast towards expediting the vaccination of the people, especially for the most vulnerable groups. Herd immunity is the way forward," wrote Azmin.

The International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) is currently running the Covid-19 intelligent management system (Cims 3.0) which vets applications by companies who wish to operate during "total lockdown", which began on June 1.

The ministry is also running a programme to expedite vaccination for those in the manufacturing sector.
Azmin's tweets appeared several hours after Putrajaya announced that lockdown measures will be tightened in many parts of the Klang Valley, beginning tomorrow.
Among others, the new rules will see a lot of manufacturers being forced to suspend operations, as only the production of food, medicine, and safety equipment will be allowed.
On June 28, Azmin claimed that the manufacturing sector contributed at most 10 percent to new Covid-19 cases. - Mkini

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