KUALA LUMPUR (BLOOMBERG) - More Malaysian states may move into the second phase of the national recovery plan by early August following an increase in the vaccination rate, Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said on Wednesday (July 14).

The country dispensed more than 420,000 shots for two days this week, a record. That has helped the government exceed the aim of covering 10 per cent of the population in July.

The accelerated vaccine roll-out has allowed the government to ease curbs in eight states even as the nationwide cases topped a record 11,000 for a second straight day on Wednesday.

Vaccination coverage is one of three goals states have to meet to move to the second phase, which involves opening up more economic sectors.

"If these positive developments continue, the whole country will be able to move to phase two in early August," Dato Sri Ismail Sabri said in a statement.

"The country is on the right track to achieve herd immunity."

Malaysia returned to a hard lockdown on June 1 after the outbreak began to worsen around end-May.

The closing of all but essential sectors is costing the economy one billion ringgit (S$323 million) a day, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said last month.

The country plans to open in four phases based on three criteria: vaccination coverage, the number of daily cases, and manageable level of intensive care bed usage.

Sectors allowed to operate in phase two are book and stationery shops, car wash services, barbers and electrical appliance shops.

Selangor, the nation's most industrialised state, and the capital city of Kuala Lumpur continue to account for the bulk of the daily new infections.