A total of 14,954 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Sunday (Sept 19), bringing the cumulative total to 2,097,830, says the Health Ministry.
Sarawak recorded the highest number of cases with 2,707 infections, followed by Selangor (2,028), Johor (1,948), Kelantan (1,420) and Sabah (1,356).
This was followed by Penang (1,259), Perak (1,222), Kedah (809), Pahang (705), Terengganu (671), Kuala Lumpur (383), Melaka (207), Negeri Sembilan (144), Perlis (76) and Putrajaya (19). Labuan recorded zero cases.
The number of Covid-19 cases continues to decline for the fourth consecutive day, as the country records 15,549 new infections as of noon today.
Sarawak remained the state with the most number of cases at 2,929, followed by Johor at 2,208.
Selangor reported 1,995 cases, followed by Sabah (1,395), Penang (1,375), Kelantan (1,214), Perak (1,120), and Kedah (1,073).
States reporting case numbers in the hundreds are Terengganu (755), Pahang (634), Kuala Lumpur (382), Melaka (263), and Negri Sembilan (131).
Malaysia recorded 19,198 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday (Sept 12), bringing the cumulative total to 1,979,698.
Sarawak recorded the highest number of cases at 5,291, followed by Selangor (2,347) and Johor (2,110).
Several localities in Pahang, Perak and Sabah will come under the enhanced movement control order.
National Security Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad said that two localities in Pekan, Pahang, and one locality each in Tawau, Sabah, and Kampar, Perak, will come under EMCO.
The EMCO in Pahang and Sabah will begin on Sept 13, and will end on Sept 26.
In Perak, the EMCO will start on Sept 12, and will conclude on Sept 25.
Meanwhile, eight localities under the EMCO in Pahang and Sabah will end on Sept 12.
The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) and the Health Ministry will carry out some data cleanup to solve problem faced by fully-vaccinated individuals whose Covid-19 digital vaccination certificates do not appear on their MySejahtera app.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said they had identified three main factors that contributed to the issue.
"(Healthcare) staff have to inoculate hundreds of thousands of individuals every day. There are cases where the vaccine serial number is not updated at the end of the process by the staff manning the final vaccination station.
Kelantan is expected to receive 18,000 single-dose CanSino vaccine in stages beginning Sept 23, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said the vaccine would be sent to Gua Musang and Kuala Krai to enable those living in the interior areas to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He said the single-dose vaccine would not only be given to the Orang Asli but also villagers staying in these areas.
"There are 7,000 Orang Asli's in Kelantan who are expected to receive the single-dose vaccine while the rest will be given to others," he told a Press conference after visiting a vaccination centre (PPV) in Tunjong here today.
Most of the new Covid-19 cases reported today are in Category 1 and 2, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said out of today's 19,550 infections reported as of noon today, 19,285 cases (98.6 per cent) were under Category 1 and 2 while the remaining 265 cases (1.4 per cent) were under Category 3, 4 and 5.
Dr Noor Hisham also said 21,771 recoveries were reported today (86.7 per cent), higher than the daily number of cases.
Currently, he said 1,247 cases were being treated at the intensive care units where 667 of them were on ventilator support.
People in the Klang Valley remained cautious about going to public places despite the government's decision to shift Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya into Phase 2 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
Checks at a mall and transportation hub here did not find large crowds despite the green light on inter-district travels in the region.
At Nu Sentral, members of the public could be seen slowly returning to the mall. Among them was Nurulhidayah Nasruddin, 27, who just completed her second dose of AstraZeneca three weeks ago.
"It's good to be able to visit the mall after months of staying home due to restrictions of movement," she said.
The state capital recorded a jump from 302 cases previously to 449 cases on Saturday (Sept 11) due to new infections among detainees at the Immigration detention depot here.
State Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun in a statement said 134 new cases were recorded from the depot in Kota Kinabalu.
“There were 153 new Covid-19 cases involving detainees across the state today,” he added.
In general, Masidi said Sabah’s cases on Saturday show a marginal drop with yesterday’s figure, registering 2,163 infections, compared to 2,246 on Friday (Sept 10).
Malaysia recorded 28 new Covid-19 clusters on Saturday, taking the current number of active ones in the country to 1,446.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 17 clusters were from workplaces, and six were community clusters.
Three clusters were among high-risk groups, while two clusters involved education groups.
Some 3,641 clusters came to a close on Saturday (Sept 11).
The Health Ministry will ensure all three million students nationwide are vaccinated before the start of the new school session next year.
Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said before the opening of the new school year in January all three million students would have been vaccinated.
"That is our key performance indicator (KPI). Before they open schools in 2022, we will vaccinate all students," he told newsmen during a joint press conference with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow in Komtar here today.
He was asked if all students would be vaccinated before returning to school.
Supplemental oxygen should only be given under strict medical advice and supervision, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
Its president Prof Datuk Dr Subramaniam Muniandy said that the unregulated sales and purchase of oxygen supplementation canisters should stop, as it is not beneficial and may instead cause harm.
“We are deeply concerned over the widespread advertising of these canisters for home use.
“Apart from the product being harmful when used incorrectly, it can also present itself as a fire hazard.
A total of 2,593 school-going children aged 16 and 17 in the duty-free island here have begun to receive Covid-19 vaccine today in preparation for school reopening on Oct 3.
Labuan Health Department director Dr Ismuni Bohari said the vaccination exercise would be implemented at the two existing vaccination centres (PPVs) at the hall of Kompleks Darul Kifayah and Labuan Matriculation College (LMC).
"As we are moving towards 100 per cent population herd immunity against Covid-19, we must not let school-going children to be left out in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).
"This is also our efforts to mitigate the possible spread of Covid-19 among students and teachers in schools due to reopen next month," he told Bernama today.
Sarawak will review its existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for individuals entering the state, including the 14-day mandatory quarantine as the state transits from the pandemic to endemic phase.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said apart from the high vaccination rate among the adult population, Sarawak has also begun vaccinating teens below 18.
"Once we complete the Covid-19 vaccination programme for the teenagers, it will further boost the immune system among our people and reduce the serious effects of the disease.
"We will then allow more economic sectors to reopen as well as review certain SOPs, including the 14-day mandatory quarantine upon entering the state," he said.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin announced today that he has set early October as the target for the administration Covid-19 vaccine booster shot for high-risk groups.
During the Kedah Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) press conference, Khairy listed those who fall into the category: the elderly with comorbidities, frontliners with health issues or at high-risk, those with poor immune systems and workers at old folks homes.
“We will prioritise them first and after that, we will open to others. This, we may be able to execute in early October for this first group, God willing,” he said.
A large crowd of people seen in a viral video queueing up without observing social distancing in front of a hotel in Kuala Lumpur supposedly to get their Covid-19 vaccination were actually there for a welfare programme, says the government.
The Health Ministry said that the crowd was not there for a vaccination programme but a Bantuan Prihatin programme under the Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan managing the Rumah Prihatin.
The International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (Mosti) also said that as such, they were not the ones in charge of managing the queues of the crowd outside the hotel on Wednesday (Aug 11) morning.
The Health Ministry is to distribute as soon as possible several units of medical equipment at the yet-to-open Cyberjaya Hospital to four hospitals in the Klang Valley to treat Covid-19 patients.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said these equipment — 42 units of ventilator, two units of mobile X-ray machines, one ultrasound unit and 20 intensive-care beds — would be sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital, Serdang Hospital, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang and Kuala Lumpur Hospital to treat Covid-19 patients in need of respiratory aid, especially Category 5 patients.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin made a surprise visit to Kajang Hospital today.
Ministry officials confirmed the matter with the New Straits Times, saying that Khairy spent an hour looking at the conditions at the healthcare facility and meet with staff and personnel.
A medical officer, Dr Khairul Hafidz (@khairul_hafidz) took to Twitter sharing the minister's surprise visit to the hospital on a weekend.
"Spotted in Hospital Kajang. This is what we call a real surprise visit. Some of the staff would surely have had their hearts 'pop out of their chest' seeing the minister arriving for the visit. Good job YB @Khairykj," he wrote.
The Johor Special Covid-19 Task Force has held its first meeting here to improve management of the pandemic in the state.
Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim said the task force would monitor and improve the system used to screen, isolate, monitor and treat Covid-19 patients.
"This is to ensure that the pandemic is always under control.
"Contact tracing needs to be accelerated so that it is done within 24 to 48 hours, and vaccination rates must also be increased," he said in a statement posted on Facebook here on Friday (Sept 17).
Pangkor Island is expected to reopen to tourists who are fully vaccinated from November 1, said Perak Housing, Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Nolee Ashilin Mohammed Radzi.
However, she said the decision to reopen the island is subject to the approval of National Security Council after all information, requirements and standard operating procedure (SOP) have been tabled by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.
“Based on the latest information received, only 87 individuals of the 8,026 residents including tour operators have not been vaccinated due to health problems or are undergoing quarantine as they have been in close contacts or were infected with Covid-19.
Four Covid-19 cases were discovered following screening exercises carried out at air and sea entry points to Langkawi.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the four were among 3,454 individuals who were screened before leaving for Langkawi.
One case each was detected at the Penang and Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport in Subang.
“Two positive cases were discovered at the Kuala Perlis jetty,” he said in his tweet on Friday (Sept 17).
The Kedah government will expand and improve its vaccination facilities after the state managed to obtain more vaccine supplies from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti).
Mentri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said Kedah received 226,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine a week compared to 80,000 doses previously, hence the state government through the Covid-19 Immunisation Special Task Force (CITF) needed to speed up the vaccination process in the state.
“We will open a mega vaccination centre (PPV) at SP Sport Centre (in Sungai Petani) with a capacity of 5,000 doses per day in collaboration with ProtectHealth Corporation Sdn Bhd, making it the largest integrated PPV in Kedah. The PPV will start operating on August 6,” he said in a statement here today.
There are still 26 teachers out of the 4,710 teachers in the state who are refusing the Covid-19 vaccine, said Perlis state executive councillor in charge of education, Rozieana Ahmad.
She said they are being persuaded to get vaccinated before school reopens.
“We need to coax them to ensure school runs smoothly and the safety of students, particularly,” she told reporters at the Perlis State Assembly Complex today where the august house is sitting.
The Pauh assemblywoman (BN) said school staffers need to get vaccinated but the 26 teachers are still not ready due to some reasons like a chronic illness.
“I’m appealing to them to consider the students rather than themselves to prevent the children from falling behind,” she said.
Two Orang Asli villages in Pahang will be placed under the 14-day Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from midnight today (Sept 20) to curb the spread of Covid-19.
National Security Council (NSC) director-general Datuk Rodzi Md Saad said the EMCO would end on Oct 3.
"The two villages are Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Koi, Hulu Cheka in Jerantut and Kampung Orang Asli Ulu Pareh in Bentong," he said in a statement today.
Rodzi said the EMCO at Taman Pantai Lok Kawi in Papar, Sabah which was to end tomorrow (Sept 20), would be extended until Oct 4.
Kelantan is expected to receive 18,000 single-dose CanSino vaccine in stages beginning Sept 23, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
He said the vaccine would be sent to Gua Musang and Kuala Krai to enable those living in the interior areas to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
He said the single-dose vaccine would not only be given to the Orang Asli but also villagers staying in these areas.
"There are 7,000 Orang Asli's in Kelantan who are expected to receive the single-dose vaccine while the rest will be given to others," he told a Press conference after visiting a vaccination centre (PPV) in Tunjong here today.
Terengganu will be moving into Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) from September 17, announced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today.
In a statement, Ismail Sabri said that the new activities allowed for the state will be according to the standard operating procedures (SOP) it has set by the National Security Council, but warned Malaysians not to take advantage of their new freedoms.
“The fact that the government is loosening restrictions doesn’t mean that we can ignore safety practices that we have been exercising for more than a year,” he said.
Night and morning markets in Melaka will only be allowed to operate after all traders and employees have received two-dose of Covid-19 vaccine, said Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.
He said this was to ensure the safety of the public and was in line with the state government’s efforts to achieve herd immunity by October.
“The state government is actively expediting vaccination of the relevant groups through the Retail Industry Vaccination Programme (RiVAC) as well as private collaboration with local authorities (PBT).
About 1.99 million doses of vaccine are needed to inoculate workers in the manufacturing sector under the Public-Private Partnership Covid-19 Industry Immunisation Programme (PIKAS) between July and September this year.
Senior Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said 600,000 doses of vaccine would be required next month, 600,000 doses in August and 795,000 doses in September for the PIKAS programme, which would be carried out at 49 designated industry vaccination centres (PPVs).
"This supply of vaccines is vital for a successful implementation of PIKAS, and National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme Coordinator Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has given an assurance that PIKAS would be allocated 600,000 doses in July.
A total of 2,446 students in Form Four and Form Five here have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine as of yesterday, ahead of the reopening of schools on Oct 4, said Labuan Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) chairman Rithuan Ismail.
He said this represents 94.33 per cent of the 2,593 students registered for the first phase of vaccination which began on Sept 11.
"All the students, who were accompanied by their parents, were excited to have the opportunity to get the jabs.
"We are quite sure those who have received the first dose will complete the second dose before schools reopen next month," he told Bernama today.
Sabah will proceed with inoculating teenagers despite the vaccination rate among its adult population still being below 80 per cent.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the vaccinations would start tomorrow for those aged between 12 and 17.
He said the matter was decided at the cabinet meeting here today.
"This was also in line with the Health Ministry's stand to get as many adolescents in the high-risk group to be vaccinated. It is also in anticipation of the reopening of schools starting Oct 3," he said in a statement.
A total of 99.74 per cent of the 2,707 new Covid-19 infections in Sarawak today were asymptomatic and mild cases, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
The Sarawak SDMC said in a statement that, of the new cases, 1,788 cases were in Category One (no symptoms); 912 in Category Two (mild symptoms), one in Category Three (lung infections), two in Category Four (requiring oxygen) and four in Category Five (requiring ventilator).
“With the increased number of new cases, the cumulative infections in the state is now at 179,788,” it added.
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