New Benchmarks Set For Recovery Plan Phases

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The number of daily hospital admissions of symptomatic Covid-19 patients will determine whether states move from one phase to another. (Bernama pic)PETALING JAYA: New benchmarks based on the number of daily hospital admissions of Covid-19 patients have been set for states to progress from one phase to another under the national recovery plan.
Coordinating minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said the new benchmark for Phase 1 states would replace the current benchmark of new daily Covid-19 cases only if the state had achieved a 50% vaccination level of its population.
He said the admission rate of symptomatic cases was a more accurate indicator when assessing whether to allow the reopening of more economic or social activities.
The new benchmarks are:
Phase 1 to Phase 2 – daily hospital admissions of symptomatic cases reduced to 6.1 per 100,000 people;Phase 2 to Phase 3 – 3.0 hospital admissions of symptomatic cases per 100,000 population;Phase 3 to Phase 4 – daily hospitalisation of 1.3 per 100,000.Tengku Zafrul said other benchmarks must also be met.
“The assessment for the transition from one phase to the next is still subject to the need to meet all indicators, including the use of ICU capacity and the vaccination rate of the adult population,” he said in a statement.
Symptomatic cases in the government’s plan refers to Category 3, 4 and 5 patients (those with congested lungs or who need assistance in breathing).
“A risk assessment to consider the opening of economic and social activities will be more accurate if based on the number of symptomatic cases of categories 3, 4 and 5, than if referring to the number of new cases daily.
“For example, although new daily cases in Sarawak reach around 400 a day, the number of new patients in Category 3, 4 and 5 is less than 10 patients, or 2% of daily cases.”
He said the shift away from using daily cases was made upon the advice of health experts, and was decided upon at a special session of the National Security Council and the National Recovery Council held this week. - FMT

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