KUALA LUMPUR – The government today released to the public the very first results of its “predictive system” on identifying Covid-19 hotspots across Malaysia.
Called the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE), the system under the Health Ministry (MoH) today listed 152 sites at risk of becoming hotspots over a seven-day horizon.
The system will generate a list of predicted premises every day. The list will be published by MoH to facilitate self-regulation by the general public and businesses.
Top among the states and Federal Territories on the list today is Kuala Lumpur, with 66 premises, and Selangor with 54.
Johor has nine premises at risk and Penang has five, followed by Sarawak (4), and Putrajaya, Sabah, Perak and Kelantan (3 each).
Melaka and Negri Sembilan have only one place identified by the system as being at risk.
Noticeably, most of the 152 premises in the first list are shopping centres, markets, and stores.
According to an FAQ released by MoH together with the list, HIDE is based on big data analytics and artificial intelligence. It leverages MySejahtera check-ins and other existing healthcare databases to make its predictions.
“Insights from HIDE facilitate more targeted and preemptive actions going forward,” reads the FAQ. “We observed that only 0.2% of premises registered on MySejahtera account for around 90% of Covid-19 transmissions in Malaysia.
“These insights help relevant authorities deploy enforcement resources better, and further reduce the need to rely on blanket measures to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.”
People who have visited the premises within seven days of them being flagged by HIDE are encouraged to isolate themselves, minimise further contact with others, and monitor for any symptoms.
“If you develop symptoms over the next 14 days, you are advised to take a Covid-19 test at your nearest health screening facility,” read the FAQ.
It also stressed that the premises are not actual clusters, but potential cluster locations that are at-risk of materialising should no corrective actions be taken. The list of premises generated by HIDE is separate from the clusters that are reported daily by the health director-general.
All data pertaining to HIDE is owned by the MoH. The system is developed and managed by the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre, a unit under the MoH, which comprises officers from various ministries and government agencies.
The premises appear on the system based on “backward and forward contact tracing” using MySejahtera check-in data, which looks for sizable numbers of people potentially exposed to Covid-19-positive people visiting the places in the list.
The premise operators are advised that they do not need to close shop, unless required by enforcement authorities.
Preemptive measures crucial for seven days
However, MoH stressed the importance of preemptive actions by the operators. They include gatekeeping, crowd control, and rapid testing of workers.
“Fighting Covid-19 is a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play. Early intervention efforts can help reduce transmission and prevent the formation of clusters. This can help save lives and preserve livelihoods.”
Crucially, it recommends that the actions be taken for seven days after one’s premise is listed on the HIDE list, as this is the period when the premise is most at-risk of having a cluster materialise.
“Having said that, these preemptive actions are best practices to prevent the spread of Covid-19. We strongly advise businesses not to let their guard down even after the premises have been taken off the HIDE list,” said MoH.
“Should no hotspots materialise at your premises arising from preemptive actions, your premises will likely be off the list within seven days of publication. We will publish a daily list of premises that have been taken off the HIDE list.”
There is a possibility of a premise being listed on the HIDE list more than once, which is usually an indication that controls have been inadequate.
“High-traffic, poorly ventilated, and crowded premises are most at risk,” it said.
“Self-regulation on the part of the public and business owners form Malaysia’s first line of defence against Covid-19. The daily publication of the list aims to empower the public to make informed decisions on their movement and conduct.” – The Vibes, May 8, 2021
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