Daily Cases Of COVID-19 In Malaysia Again Reach 5,000, But Still Under Control

JAKARTA - The addition of daily COVID-19 cases in Malaysia on Saturday 16 July soared. The latest report now has positive cases surpassing the 5,000 mark, according to the latest data released by the Malaysian Ministry of Health.

Based on the latest data on the COVIDNOW website which was updated on Sunday, 7:06 am Kuala Lumpur time, there were an addition of 5,044 daily local cases and three daily imported cases on Saturday, 16 July.

The number of active cases increased by 1,273 on the same day, bringing the total to 42,481, with 96.3 percent or 40,923 people undergoing self-quarantine at home. Malaysia recorded the number of recoveries on Saturday increased by 3,770 people, while five people died.

On Friday, the daily addition of COVID-19 cases soared, reaching 5,219 daily local cases and 11 daily imported cases. Active cases on that day increased by 2,295, recovered increased by 2,927, while nine people died.

Malaysia last recorded an increase in daily cases above 5,000 which occurred on April 23, 2022, with a figure of 5,624. While the accumulation of active cases at that time reached 80,948.

The increase in daily cases in the last few days in Malaysia has also caught the attention of the National Recovery Council (NRC), chaired by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The NRC plans to hold a meeting on July 26 to hear the latest report on the COVID-19 situation from the Ministry of Health.

However, Muhyiddin believes the COVID-19 situation in Malaysia is still under control.

"We have no problems with logistical operations such as hospital beds and the ability to manage (cases). The last two years have given us sufficient experience in dealing with COVID-19," he said as quoted by Bernama.

Malaysian Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has also asked the public to immediately take a COVID-19 booster vaccine after his ministry predicted an increase in cases in the next few weeks.

The inclusion of the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants which are spreading rapidly in a number of countries in ASEAN is a concern. He also asked the public to continue to wear masks in closed places and crowded places.