Malaysia recovering gradually from third wave of infections
Cases tapered off in recent weeks amid foreign workers' mass testing, vaccination roll-out
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Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (far left) in Putrajaya yesterday. Dr Balakrishnan and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin discussed mutual vaccine certification to aid cross-border travel, and both nations’ vaccination plans.
PHOTO: BERNAMA
Ram Anand Malaysia Correspondent In Putrajaya, Ram Anand
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The announcement by Malaysia and Singapore to work towards facilitating cross-border travel yesterday has put the spotlight on Malaysia's gradual recovery from the coronavirus crisis that had threatened to overwhelm its healthcare system just two months ago.
Malaysia had posted a daily infection tally of nearly 6,000 cases at the end of January amid a national emergency, but cases have tapered off in recent weeks, aided by mass testing of its foreign workers and a vaccination roll-out.
Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met his Malaysian counterpart Hishammuddin Hussein in Putrajaya yesterday and discussions were held on mutual vaccine certification to aid cross-border travel.
In a joint statement, Dr Balakrishnan and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin said they had discussed "their respective national vaccination roll-out plans which are under way in Malaysia and Singapore, and how this could facilitate cross-border travel between both countries in the near future".
The discussions took place less than two months after Singapore suspended its Reciprocal Green Lane cross-border travel scheme with Malaysia following a spike in Covid-19 cases across the Causeway at the start of the year.
Malaysia brought the outbreak under control last year, only to see cases surging in a third wave that started in September.
The spike in cases saw Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin reimposing nationwide travel curbs in January.
He also requested the Malaysian King to impose a national emergency, which was declared on Jan 12 and is set to last until Aug 1.
The number of active cases - those being treated for Covid-19 in hospitals or at government centres - reached as high as 52,000 early last month.
But the number has since fallen, standing at 14,454 yesterday, as more people recovered and the number of new infections fell this month.
After a high of 5,728 daily cases on Jan 30, Malaysia has recorded just over 1,000 new cases a day for the past 18 days, with 1,384 cases recorded yesterday.
The plateauing of daily cases has been accompanied by Malaysia's Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, which started on Feb 24.
So far, 452,919 doses of vaccine have been administered, covering fewer than 2 per cent of Malaysia's 32 million population.
The country aims to vaccinate 80 per cent of its population by the end of this year to achieve herd immunity.
It is on track to finish vaccinating over 500,000 front-line workers by the end of this month, before moving on to inoculate senior citizens, who make up almost 30 per cent of the population.
Much of the country's economy has been reopened following a partial movement control order that lasted more than a month, although inter-state travel remains prohibited.
