Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said masks were still needed for the current "transition to endemic" phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement today, Noor Hisham stressed that Malaysia has not entered the "endemic" phase and hence, measures are still required to protect the old and the frail.

He said even endemic diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria still require active intervention to reduce spread, suffering and deaths.