Kuala Lumpur and Selangor red zones
Red zones in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor
Image adapted from: Asia School of Business
Malaysians have been keeping a watchful eye on the daily updates of new COVID-19 cases provided by the Ministry of Health. We all want to know how our country is faring against the pandemic, especially since there’s a high possibility that an Enhanced Movement Control Order (MCO) may take place if a particular town or neighbourhood records a worrying number of COVID-19 cases.
In yesterday’s update that was posted to the Ministry of Health’s official Twitter page on 5th April 2020, it was reported that there are no new red zones and that it remains at 17 districts across Malaysia. However, Malaysians still have to be wary, especially those who are staying in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. These 2 states have recorded the highest numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases, making them high-risk territories.
Over 1,400 COVID-19 cases recorded
According to the infographic provided by the Ministry of Health, Selangor is the most affected state with 4 red zones and a combined total of 890 confirmed COVID-19 cases. The districts of Petaling and Hulu Langat have surged past 300 where the current tally stands at 308 and 307 respectively. Gombak and Klang make up the remaining 2 red zones with 77 and 88 cases.
Image credit: @KKMPutrajaya
Kuala Lumpur is the 2nd state in Malaysia that has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases with a total of 595. Out of 4 districts in KL, 3 are red zones – Kepong, Lembah Pantai, Titiwangsa.
From the figures given, Lembah Pantai has the most worrying track record of 367 cases, the highest across all districts in Malaysia. While Cheras is still considered to be an orange zone, it’s in a dangerous spot with 38 cases as it only needs to record 2 more cases before it’s officially classified as a red zone.
Image credit: @KKMPutrajaya
However, there has since been an update in the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country with the figure standing at 3,662. The new 179 new cases mean that we may see an increase of red zones, although we’ll have to wait for the official update by the ministry.
M’sia will not be able to manage an exponential growth
As numbers of COVID-19 cases continue to relentlessly increase for the past few weeks, Malaysians are starting to worry about the state of our healthcare system. After all, caring for over almost 3,000 patients can certainly put a strain on resources and manpower.
Image credit: Noor Hisham Abdullah
According to Malay Mail, the Health Director-General Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah has come forth to say that the country may not be able to cope if we were to see significant growth in the number of COVID-19 cases.
This has happened before in countries where there is a big jump in new cases that exceed the thousand mark. And it’s especially worrying that thousands are expected to return to Malaysia since Singapore will be shutting down all non-essential services by 7th April 2020.
KL and Selangor most affected in Malaysia
It’s worrying to see that Kuala Lumpur and Selangor are recording such high numbers of confirmed COVID-19 cases, especially since these 2 states make up the country’s city centre. We can only hope that the figures will start to show a downward trend as it’s only then that Malaysians can all breathe a sigh of relief.
If you’re residing in a red zone area, take extra safety measures to ensure you and your family’s health. You can do this by simply staying put at home unless absolutely necessary and regularly washing your hands with soap.
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