Coronavirus World

Malaysia, Tokyo register new daily highs in cases

KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia and the Olympics host city Tokyo announced record Covid-19 infections yesterday, mostly driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant of the disease.

Malaysia's Health Ministry reported 17,786 new coronavirus cases yesterday, its latest record number of daily infections.

Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a tweet that the country's total cumulative cases had reached 1,113,272.

There were also 165 people who succumbed to Covid-19, bringing the country's death toll to 9,024.

Most new infections in Malaysia have been categorised as less serious cases, however, according to Dr Noor Hisham, who said 98.3 per cent of the cases reported on Friday presented mild symptoms or none at all.

Selangor remained the state with the most cases, recording 6,400 new infections.

The government had launched "Operation Surge Capacity" for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor to accelerate the vaccination drive amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley.

National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said walk-in vaccinations will start tomorrow in the Klang Valley and cater to those aged above 40 and people with co-morbid conditions first.

Tokyo's metropolitan government announced yesterday a record number of 4,058 infections in the past 24 hours, exceeding 4,000 for the first time and overshadowing the Games.

Nationwide cases yesterday totalled 12,342, a record figure for the fourth straight day, Kyodo News reported, underscoring a rapid rise in infections across Japan.

Olympics organisers yesterday reported 21 new Covid-19 cases related to the Games, bringing the total to 241 since July 1.

A day earlier, Japan extended its state of emergency for Tokyo to the end of August and expanded it to three prefectures near Tokyo and to the western prefecture of Osaka.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday indicated a new goal of having 40 per cent of the country's population of 126 million fully vaccinated by late August, and 60 per cent receiving at least one shot by then.

THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on August 01, 2021, with the headline Malaysia, Tokyo register new daily highs in cases. Subscribe