SENIOR citizens and those with comorbidities should pay close attention and heed the Health Ministry’s (MOH) recent announcement not to travel abroad and avoid crowded places in light of the new Covid-19 Omicron variant. Regardless of age, one should take the advice by the MOH seriously.

I know there is a fine line between lives and livelihoods. However, there is no need to take unnecessary risks and gamble with dear life.

Most people have somewhat lowered their guard in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some have even argued and preached of Covid-19 being just another flu virus while some have argued that having an extra cautious approach to the pandemic is akin to living in a cave.

Let me send out a strong message to these people. I value life and that includes yours. Hence, please do not be selfish and preach the all clear when it is not.

The government has opened economic sectors and lifted the interstate travel ban in the best interest of economic sustainability.

I dare not say that is 100% safe to do away with the use of facemasks, social distancing, contact tracing and the like. It will be most careless to do so.

So please for the sake of everyone follow the standard operating procedures. It is in place not to serve as an annoyance or hindrance. It serves to protect you and me. We can all agree that it is not sustainable for the country to undergo extended periods of lock downs.

Now, as we edge closer to normalcy we must remember that the Covid-19 pandemic has stolen so much from us.

We are still recovering from the economic wounds left behind. Some have been able to recoup while there are those who are gone forever. The high death rates recorded just a few months back serves as a grim reminder of the ultimate price for non-compliance.

The year is about to draw to a close. It might be a good time to do some self-reflecting and while the new year promises a fresh start, we must never carry mistakes of the past into 2022.

It’s only fair to share…

Yeap Ming Liong

Subang Jaya