KUCHING: The federal government has published the first list of premises flagged as potential Covid-19 hotspots identified through the Hotspots Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system on Saturday.
HIDE, an artificial intelligence system jointly developed by Bank Negara Malaysia and the Health Ministry, focused on providing early warnings to the public based on the data gathered via the MySejahtera app.
With 90 percent of Covid-19 infections occurring in only 0.2 percent of premises registered with MySejahtera, findings from HIDE will help the authorities to implement preliminary prevention measures in a structured approach.
New Sarawak Tribune has found out that most people in Sarawak agreed that the system will provide an effective measure in preventing the spread of Covid-19 in the state, alongside with the list of premises patronised by Covid-19 cases shared by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in its daily report.
Dayang Nurina Nazihah
The implementation of HIDE is effective. The community does not seem to have much concern of Covid-19 as compared to how it was during the first outbreak. Hence, with the new system, it may help to raise awareness on not just the importance of avoiding hotspot areas but for them to stay at home. I avoid the premises listed thus playing my role in limiting the spread of Covid-19.
Mohamed Ridhwan
The system will act as a safety precaution for our people. They will know which places to avoid at that very moment considering that they are listed as Covid-19 hotspots. As for myself, I would not like to be a risk for others. Therefore, I would refrain myself from going to the premises that are listed in the system as it would be a risk not only to myself but family members and friends.
Jason Lim
As long as people in our community are able to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs), the system will be effective. I have been avoiding premises listed as it concerns not only my safety, but the safety of others as well.
Siti Rosumizah
This measure will increase the people’s awareness, making them more wary of their surroundings. Through this measure, they can avoid going to the places listed, reducing the risk of Covid-19 transmission. I have avoided the premises listed for fear of getting infected. We can never be sure if the virus is around us. But by knowing where the hotspots are, we’ll be able to avoid these particular locations.
Farah Aishah
I think that it will only be effective to a certain extent. While it is undeniable that it will help lower the risk of transmission, I’m sure that as soon as these HIDE premises are reopened, people will resume visiting the premises. During the earlier days of Covid-19, I would check the list of premises visited by Covid-19 positive individuals and update my parents as to where they can and cannot go. However, as time passes by and the number of cases increases, I don’t really bother to avoid the premises listed as I realised it makes no difference. In other words, I am now immune to the fear of Covid-19.
