Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong. [Source: File Photo]

The lifting of masking and other mandates, and easing of travel restrictions, is NOT a sign that the risk of outbreak and resurgence of COVID-19 is over.

Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says the promotion of COVID-safe measures will be pursued in a similar manner to promoting healthy lifestyle measures to prevent non-communicable diseases, and how basic hygiene is promoted for the prevention of infectious diseases like typhoid.

Doctor Fong says the measures that will continue in terms of prevention are the promotion of vaccination, personal COVID-safe hygiene habits, and workplace ventilation and air cleaning measures.

A key part of the Ministry’s strategy moving forward will be to concentrate on health facilities and health care provision to mitigate against severe disease and death.

This will include ongoing community engagement and outreach programs to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment, and the maintenance of health facility readiness to provide treatment.

The Ministry’s command and operation centres have been repurposed to maintain a line list of vulnerable cases in the community and to work on processes that will allow for a more pre-emptive response, and promote broader community resilience.