Malaysia: Record Covid cases yesterday take infections past 1 million, Latest World News - The New Paper
World

Malaysia: Record Covid cases yesterday take infections past 1 million

This article is more than 12 months old

Critics lodge police report alleging government was negligent in managing crisis

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's total coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic surpassed one million yesterday after the country's Health Ministry reported a record 17,045 cases.

The total number of infectionsstood at 1,013,438.

There were 92 deaths yesterday, taking the toll to 7,994. Of the total number of deaths, 7,523 or 94 per cent occurred this year.

Selangor recorded the highest number of cases at 8,500 followed by Kuala Lumpur at 2,045 and Kedah with 1,216.

Earlier on Friday, Kelantan detected its first case of the Covid-19 Delta variant, involving a woman in Pasir Puteh.

The state's Housing and Health Committee chairman, Dr Izani Husin, said the woman had been infected with Covid-19 before.

"I expect that this Delta variant infection is already present in the community and this is very worrying," he said yesterday.

Overall, new infections continued to outpace daily recoveries, which stood at 9,683 yesterday.

Meanwhile the total number of active cases rose to more than 160,000, continuing to strain the country's stretched healthcare system.

Nearly 1,000 people are in intensive care units, with more than half of them requiring ventilator support.

Yesterday, a group of opposition lawmakers and activists led by lawyer Ambiga Sreenevasan lodged a police report alleging that the government had been negligent in managing the health crisis.

The group called for the government to be more accountable, saying Health Minister Adham Baba and other relevant ministries involved in the country's pandemic response needed to take the issue seriously.

Meanwhile, Thailand yesterday reported a record 15,335 cases, bringing the total to 497,302. Thailand also reported 129 deaths, bringing the toll to 4,059. - The Star, The Straits Times, Reuters

WORLD