Malaysia reports 6,999 new COVID-19 cases, down more than 2,000 from previous day
Malaysia reported 6,999 new coronavirus cases on Sunday (May 30), bringing the total infections in the country to 565,533.
The daily figure was down from Saturday’s 9,020 cases, the fifth straight record rise in COVID-19 infections in Malaysia.
On Friday, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a nationwide “total lockdown” starting in June as infections in the country surged to record levels.
Mr Muhyiddin said the stricter lockdown from Jun 1 to Jun 14 was for all social and economic areas. Only essential services and economic sectors listed by the national security council will remain operating.
Malaysia has seen a surge in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks partly due to highly transmissible coronavirus variants. Hospitals are also strained.
As of Friday, about 1.5 million people in Malaysia have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The government is aiming to achieve herd immunity among the country’s 32 million people by the end of the year.
Science Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told a virtual news briefing on Sunday that the government will set up another five mega vaccination centres around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and are considering two in the northen state of Penang and in the southern state of Johor.
