Indonesia, Malaysia log record highs in daily cases

KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA • Indonesia and Malaysia both logged new record highs in daily Covid-19 cases yesterday.

Indonesia reported 14,518 new cases, to take its total number of cases to just over 1.06 million, the highest tally in South-east Asia. Its Covid-19 task force reported 210 deaths, increasing the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic so far to 29,728.

Malaysia, meanwhile, reported its biggest daily rise in coronavirus cases for the second straight day, with 5,728 new infections yesterday.

The new cases took the cumulative total of infections to 209,661.

Malaysia reported 5,725 cases on Friday. Its Health Ministry also reported 13 new deaths, raising total fatalities from the pandemic to 746.

The country's cumulative Covid-19 cases make it the third largest figure in South-east Asia, with the Philippines in the second grim slot with a total of 523,516 cases yesterday.

Indonesia has vaccinated some 250,000 healthcare workers with their first shots since the programme started two weeks ago. The government is pushing for the number to rise to between 900,000 and one million daily.

Malaysia is slated to start its vaccination programme at the end of next month.

Meanwhile, a Malaysian Cabinet minister said yesterday that the country is expanding its Covid-19 screening programme for foreign workers nationwide from Tuesday. Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan said the programme will involve 800,000 foreign nationals working in Malaysia and is focused on four "high-risk" states - Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Sabah - along with the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan.

REUTERS, THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK