The Ministry of Health will be avoiding population blanket measures such as lockdowns, which were used last year.[File Photo]

The Ministry of Health will be avoiding population blanket measures such as lockdowns, which were used last year.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says avoiding such measures during this current wave is important as it has also negatively impacted our communities on other fronts.

He adds that this time around, they will be prioritizing the promotion of individual COVID safety measures such as vaccination, masking, physical distancing, avoiding crowds and hand hygiene.

Dr Fong stresses that this will also be followed by setting-based measures including social gathering restrictions, indoor capacity restrictions, ventilation, and curfews.

The Permanent Secretary adds that they will continue to work towards suppressing community transmission to prevent a large number of sick individuals admitted to hospital which could still overwhelm the health system’s capacity.

The Ministry is currently reviewing its protocols, which will be communicated soon and all businesses and commercial entities have been encouraged to be aware that the situation is continuously changing.