Malaysia reports record 11,079 cases, numbers expected to rise
Infections likely to rise for a week or two more before slowing, says health chief
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 11,079 new coronavirus infections yesterday, the most cases recorded in a single day since the pandemic began. There were also 125 deaths, bringing the toll to 6,385.
Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said Covid-19 cases are expected to increase over a week or two before it stabilises.
"We projected that the number of cases from July 3 will increase. This has been a week, and we anticipate that it will go up for a week or two, before cases stabilise," he said.
"With our lockdown measures, we saw cases go down from 9,000 to around 4,000, but suddenly it has gone up again. One of the reasons is because of the Delta Covid-19 variant."
He said the infectivity rate of the Delta variant is much higher than the one that emerged in Wuhan, China.
He said: "This means that if the Delta variant infects 100 people, it could spread to 800 more. It is also airborne and so the transmission is faster.
"Therefore, people are encouraged to wear double masks or face shields. Avoid crowded areas because if someone in the crowd is positive, the virus can spread quickly."
Malaysia announced new measures yesterday to support its ailing public health system.
The government has approved an additional RM100 million (S$32 million) for outsourcing activities where non-Covid-19 patients are moved from overstretched public hospitals to private facilities, officials said.
The authorities will also increase the number of dedicated Covid-19 hospitals, and purchase more oxygen tanks and beds, among other measures.
Citing low testing rates, officials also warned that Malaysia's infection figures could be much higher than reported and vowed to increase mass screening in the worst-hit areas.
Meanwhile, the minister in charge of the inoculation drive, Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, said 204 employees at a Shah Alam vaccination centre have tested positive for the disease. This led to a one-day closure of the centre yesterday.
Those infected had low "viral loads" and none had serious symptoms, possibly because most workers at the site had been vaccinated, he added. Some 400 of the workers had been inoculated. - REUTERS, THE STAR, AFP
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