To date, 48,261 children and infants in the country have been infected with Covid-19, 6,290 of them aged 18 months and below.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said this serves as a wake-up call for parents.
“Senior citizens were placed in the high-risk category previously, but it now appears to be spreading among children,” said Ismail Sabri.
“We have to practice self-lockdown to prevent our loved ones and us from getting infected with Covid-19,” he said in a statement.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah earlier warned there will be a spike in Covid-19 numbers after Malaysia recorded its highest tally for a single day today.
There were 7,289 new Covid-19 infections – breaching the 7,000 mark for the first time. Sixty deaths were also recorded today – the highest number of fatalities in a single day since the coronavirus first hit the country early last year.
Dr Noor Hisham said we should expect the worst.
“Our daily Covid-19 cases are following an exponential trend. The rise of cases started from April 1 and could trigger a vertical surge,” he said.
“We need to prepare for the worst.”
Selangor recorded the highest number of cases (2,642), followed by Johor (664), Kuala Lumpur (604), Sarawak (513) and Kelantan (425).
Here’s our news round-up today.
REGISTRATION FOR AZ VACCINE FOR UNDER 60 OPENS TOMORROW
Coordinating Minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin, said opt-in registration for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for those under 60 will open beginning noon tomorrow in the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor and Sarawak.
However, senior citizens would still be given priority should they continue to sign up.
As of yesterday, 905,271 people have already received both doses of their AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines.
PRASARANA NEEDS NEW CHAIRMAN AFTER TAJUDDIN’S TRAIN WRECK PRESS CONFERENCE
The manner in which Prasarana Malaysia Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman – a politician – conducted this morning’s press conference on the Kelana Jaya LRT line mishap was itself, a train wreck.
Tajuddin’s attempt at humour, by saying the two trains kissed each other was inappropriate, to say the least. He lacked empathy.
STOP POLITICAL PATRONAGE. TIME FOR QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS TO RUN MALAYSIA
Malaysia needs to migrate from political governance to professional governance, in which qualified personnel, professionals or politicians, are appointed to high leadership positions, writes Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin.
MALAYSIA CAN ACHIEVE 2021 GDP GROWTH TARGET, SAYS MUSTAPA
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said Malaysia can achieve its 2021 gross domestic product (GDP) growth target of between 6 and 7.5 per cent if the Covid-19 health crisis can be stabilised after the lifting of the third Movement Control Order.
He said the availability of vaccines and a comprehensive vaccination rollout would have a positive impact on the country’s economy.
The Leading Index (IP) surged 17.3 per cent in March, much higher than an increase of 8.2 per cent in January and 8.6 per cent in February.
‘DATUK SERI’ AMONG 19 ARRESTED OVER SLOT MACHINE GAMBLING ACTIVITIES
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said they have arrested 19 people, including a ‘Datuk Seri’ for suspected involvement in slot machine gambling activities.
Azmi said the 55-year-old was arrested at his residence in Bukit Segar, Cheras, last Thursday.
The Datuk Seri is believed to be the mastermind of the syndicate that had been active since early this year.
Besides the Datuk Seri, nine others were arrested in separate raids on the same day. Police seized RM579,000 in cash, three watches worth RM238,000, and seven gold bars and lockets worth RM58,250. Three vehicles worth RM1.2 million were also found at the Datuk Seri’s residence.
LIMKOKWING ‘RECUPERATING’ AFTER FALL
Tan Sri Limkokwing, president of The Limkokwing University, has been hospitalised following a fall in his house recently.
The university, had in a statement, said Limkokwing was in “stable condition” and requested that he “be given complete privacy so he can focus on his recovery.”
MINISTRY NEEDS TO ADDRESS SEXUAL ABUSE IN SPORTS, SAYS EX-GYMNAST
Former national gymnast Sarina Sundara Rajah said abuses happen in sports as there is no ecosystem to protect athletes.
She also urged the Youth and Sports Ministry to view allegations of sexual assault made by a former national swimmer seriously.
