Malaysia, Indonesia log record daily jumps in Covid-19 infections

KUALA LUMPUR/JAKARTA - Malaysia and Indonesia on Thursday (Jan 7) both reported record daily jumps in Covid-19 infections.

The records logged in the two countries were the second consecutive day when infections surged to new highs.

Malaysia reported 3,027 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the biggest daily increase recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic.

A recent surge in infections has spooked investors, with the Kuala Lumpur stock index falling as much as 1.2 per cent on Thursday, a day after the authorities said the rise in cases was straining the country’s health system.

The country on Wednesday  reported a new record high in daily cases with 2,525 cases. Total Malaysian Covid-19 cases stood at 128,465.

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There were eight new deaths related to Covid-19 reported, raising the total fatality to 521.

Indonesia, meanwhile, logged  a daily record 9,321 new coronavirus infections, bringing its total cases to 797,723, data from its Covid-19 task force showed - the highest in South-east Asia.

It was the second consecutive day of reporting record infections.

Thursday’s data showed that 224 people in Indonesia died due to the virus, bringing total fatalities to 23,520.

Indonesian officials said recently that extra beds to treat Covid-19 cases are being added, as the country's 98 referral hospitals were fast running out of beds to isolate patients.

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