New cases multiply exponentially, Malaysia at risk of being engulfed in Covid-19 disaster

The crisis is getting worse.

Official data shows Malaysia's daily infection rate per million people has surpassedIndiaAccording to Our World in Data, Malaysia's population is only 32 million, much lower than India's 1.4 billion people, but on average, every 7 days, every 1 million Malaysians have 205.1 cases of the disease, while in India this number is only 150.4 people.

As a record number of severe cases take up nearly 1,200 beds in intensive care units, Malaysia’s health system is on the brink of collapse, with doctors reportedly forced to make the heartbreaking choice of prioritizing care for patients with a higher chance of recovery.

Malaysia has seen a rise in the number of casesCovid-19The number of new cases has increased fivefold since the beginning of the year and recorded a record number of new cases per day for several consecutive days since the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The latest wave of infections has been linked to large gatherings and non-compliance with social distancing or restrictions on movement, at the end of Ramadan.

The number of daily infections has far exceeded the forecast of the Malaysian Ministry of Health. Previously, the agency warned that if people did not comply with strict restrictions, the country could face a daily infection rate of up to 8,000 by early June. On May 29, the country recorded a record 9,020 new cases and 98 deaths. In May alone, Malaysia recorded 1,289 deaths, exceeding the number of Covid-19 deaths in the first year of the pandemic.

The government of Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is facing criticism after the number of cases and deaths increased rapidly. On May 28, Mr. Muhyiddin Yassin announced the imposition of a "total lockdown" nationwide starting from June 2021, but still allowing essential services and sectors to maintain operations.

Malaysia declared a public health emergency in January, which was due to expire on August 1. However, the worsening pandemic situation may prompt Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to seek an extension.

As the number of cases has tripled since the state of emergency was declared, lawmakers in Malaysia have called for an emergency session of parliament to review measures to control the outbreak and address related issues. It is not yet clear whether Prime Minister Muhyiddin will agree to the proposal to convene an emergency session of parliament.

The first phase of the lockdown will be in effect from June 1 to 14, after which the Malaysian Health Ministry will assess the situation to decide whether to ease restrictions and reopen the economy or continue to tighten controls.

Malaysian officials said the emergence of new, more contagious variants was one of the reasons for the reimposition of the lockdown. Malaysia detected its first case of the B1617 variant, which originated in India, in early May. Two other variants from the UK and South Africa, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has designated as “variants of concern,” have also spread in the community.

More and more patients in Malaysia, including younger people, are now showing more severe symptoms. As of June 1, Malaysia had recorded 572,357 cases and 2,796 deaths, according to Worldometers data. Malaysia is the worst-hit country in Southeast Asia by population, although its total number of cases is still lower than Indonesia and the Philippines.

“The situation is very serious. Cases are popping up all over the country. Malaysia needs a strict lockdown to recalibrate and restructure its response,” said Zainal Ariffin Omar, a former WHO adviser on community-acquired infectious diseases.