Malaysia adds 15,573 new COVID cases for record since pandemic

JAKARTA, Indonesia

Malaysia on Friday reported 15,573 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily jump since the pandemic began.

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the fresh cases raised the nationwide count to 980,491.

Selangor recorded the most infections with 7,672 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 2,063 cases.

Meanwhile, the daily number of COVID-19 vaccine doses given topped 500,000 for the first time on Thursday.

"A very good achievement. This is the result of the efforts of all the front liners, health workers and volunteers serving at vaccination centers across the country," said Malaysian Health Minister Adham Baba in a statement on Friday.

The South East Asian country has topped 16 million doses of vaccines in nationwide campaign, according to the COVID-19 Immunization Task Force.

So far, around 10.9 million people (33.4%) have received the first jabs, while 5,1 million people (15.6%) are fully vaccinated.

Since May, Malaysia is under the phase one of the National Recovery Plan, the four-phase roadmap that will steer the country out of the pandemic.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin previously stated said the extension of the recovery plan was necessary as the number of COVID-19 cases has not dipped below the targeted threshold of 4,000 required to move to the next phase.

*Writing by Maria Elisa Hospita