Malaysia's daily cases fall below 10,000 for first time since early Feb

PETALING JAYA • Malaysia recorded 8,112 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday, the Health Ministry said, the first time daily new cases fell below 10,000 since Feb 5, when 9,117 cases were reported.

But health experts warned that infections may rise with the threat of new variants and as more people let their guard down.

According to the CovidNow government website, the country's total number of infections since the pandemic started stood at 4,325,818 cases.

The Health Ministry reported that there were 25 imported Covid-19 infections on Sunday, with the remaining 8,087 cases the result of local transmissions.

There were also 15,765 recoveries on Sunday, with a total number of more than 145,700 active cases in Malaysia. No deaths were reported on Sunday.

After 10 days of transitioning to the Covid-19 endemic stage from April 1, public health experts are warning that infections may yet rise as most of the curbs have been removed, and with most people free to travel within the country or to go abroad.

Experts say the country's high vaccination rate of 79.5 per cent for the total population and the compulsory wearing of masks continue to shield many against severe symptoms of the disease.

Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Raj Kumar Maharajah said people no longer seem to be following the health protocols, with many acting as if Covid-19 no longer exists.

"We are definitely going to see a surge in cases but the severity might not be as bad as what we saw before. These cases would mainly be in (the asymptomatic and mild) categories 1 or 2 and there will be fewer people admitted to hospital and requiring ICU care."

He urged the public to always be on guard against new strains and to continue wearing masks, practise social distancing and sanitise their hands.

Malaysia reopened its borders on April 1 after two years, with businesses allowed to operate at regular hours just like in pre-pandemic times.

Health protocols have been relaxed at places of worship.

An encouraging sign is that between April 1 and April 4, 252,730 local and international travellers entered and left the country, yet Covid-19 cases continued to see a downward trend.

Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar, chairman of Volunteers For Community Engagement and Empowerment For Covid-19, believes that the country is doing well in managing the pandemic. But he said Covid-19 infections are still high and cases could still rise as new variants might appear.

"Community interactions are high right now," he said.

"Together with an increase in religious and social events, as well as the reopening of all economic sectors and international borders, including the relaxation and non-compliance with SOP (standard operating procedure), this will cause a rise in Covid-19 cases and may cause serious infections."

On offering second booster shots to the population, he said the Health Ministry should evaluate the current situation, such as the immunity levels following the first booster dose.

Only 48.8 per cent of the total population have received their booster shots.

Several countries, such as the United States and Britain, have announced that a fourth dose of an mRNA vaccine is recommended for groups like healthcare workers and immunocompromised individuals.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK