This is a weekly round-up of Covid-19 related matters in Malaysia and globally from May 29 up to noon today. In Malaysia, case numbers are nearing 600,000 and globally, the virus has infected more than 172 million people and caused over 3.7 million deaths. More than 216 countries

PETALING JAYA: The Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) has been told by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to study making vaccinations mandatory. Bernama quoted Muhyiddin as saying this needed to be considered if the number of registrations for vaccinations remains low and fails to meet the government’s

Klang MP Charles Santiago has slammed Home Minister Hamzah Zainuddin, who said yesterday that elected representatives who support migrant rights should work to get papers for undocumented migrant workers. “There is a reason as to why you need to think before you speak. When you don’t, you end up

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The government is mulling the idea of taking legal action against anti-vaccine groups in the country if they were found to have incited public opinion against the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme. Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government had, in fact, asked the Covid-19 Vaccine

China has rejected Malaysia’s complaints about its air force’s activities, saying on Wednesday that its warplanes had been conducting routine training in accordance with international law. “This is a routine training activity carried out by the Chinese air force in waters south of the Nansha Islands [China’s

KUALA LUMPUR: Brickfields police inspected a business premises selling alcoholic beverages in the district and instructed it to be closed for violating the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP). Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Anuar Omar (pic) said police received information, which had gone viral on social media, that a premises was

Samling Group has refuted allegations of wrongdoing in managing two logging concessions in Sarawak – the Gerenai and Ravenscourt forest management units (FMUs). This comes after local communities lodged formal complaints to the Malaysian Timber Certification Council (MTCC) about an alleged lack of transparency. MTCC is an organisation that operates a

SANTIAGO: Chile’s health ministry on Thursday said it would raise the minimum age of men approved to receive the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine to 45 from 18, and suspend administering second doses until authorities complete an investigation into a man who had a blood clot after his first shot. Chile,

KOTA KINABALU: A senior leader of Sabah STAR was arrested for allegedly molesting a participant at the just concluded state-level cultural pageant, amid a call to other contestants to come forward if they were similarly accosted. Philip Among (pic), who was suspended as Putatan Sabah STAR division coordinator, was arrested

SHAH ALAM: A total of 615,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been received by the Selangor State Health Department (JKNS) as of June 1, comprising 434,070 doses of Pfizer vaccine; Sinovac (146,440 doses) and Astrazeneca (34,700 doses). State Public Health, Unity, Women Empowerment and Family Committee

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday that bans U.S. entities from investing in dozens of Chinese companies with alleged ties to defense or surveillance technology sectors, a move his administration says expands the scope of a legally flawed Trump-era order. The Treasury Department will enforce

Good morning, here’s what you need to know today. Key Highlights * Travel pass U-turn * Death toll crosses 3,000 * Pay-to-vaccinate soon Travel pass U-turn Another day, another U-turn with Covid-19 SOPs – this time on whether the police would turn you back at roadblocks for not having the right letter.

A highly placed Putrajaya source has confirmed speculation about friction between Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his colleague Azmin Ali of the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti). The disagreement was allegedly over an eleventh-hour change that required businesses from all sectors to seek Miti’s permission if they

KUALA LUMPUR: There has been an increase in the number of Covid-19 critical and death cases among children aged below five years old this year compared to last year, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix). He said three such fatalities were reported last year while, for

PETALING JAYA: The number Covid-19 deaths in the country has surpassed the 3,000 mark since the pandemic outbreak last year, after 103 more deaths were recorded on Thursday (June 3). “The deaths today bring the total number of fatalities to 3,096,” said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor

PETALING JAYA: The number of children under five years of age dying of Covid-19 or requiring intensive care unit (ICU) treatment has increased drastically this year compared to last year, says Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. “We have received several questions on the statistics of death and

KUALA LUMPUR: It is not impossible for the Covid-19 death toll in Malaysia to reach 26,000 by September as projected in a study conducted by a university in the US, said health minister Dr Adham Baba. “What has been projected is not something impossible,” he told reporters when asked

GEORGETOWN: State governments and private hospitals across Malaysia can purchase their own COVID-19 vaccines, including those which are not used in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP) such as Moderna and Sinopharm, said vaccine coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin.  Speaking at a press conference after visiting a vaccination centre in Penang

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) will build six more field hospitals to strengthen the national healthcare system as the country battles the Covid-19 pandemic, said Senior Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. He said this was in line with the government’s recent announcement of a RM1

KUCHING: Serious action should be taken by the federal government to ensure intrusion of Chinese air force aircraft into Malaysian airspace do not reoccur in the future, said Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg (pix). This is following the breach of the Malaysian airspace and sovereignty by

KUCHING: The Sarawak government has expressed its concern over this week’s incident in which 16 Chinese military aircraft were detected near Malaysian airspace. “This incident occurred just over the Luconia Shoals located about 110km off the coast of Sarawak,” the Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement on

KUALA LUMPUR: Following much speculation on social media over Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s Instagram post of “closing the front door”, the Senior Minister (Security) said it was just because he was going home for the day. A picture he posted on his official Instagram account on Wednesday (June

GEORGE TOWN: Vaccine minister Khairy Jamaluddin today said state governments are free to buy vaccines from companies yet to be engaged by Putrajaya. He said the states are free to negotiate with drug makers Moderna and Sinopharm, whose vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization. At a press

KOTA KINABALU: A Sabah STAR leader has been arrested in connection with the alleged molestation of an Unduk Ngadau contestant here recently. CID officers from Kota Kinabalu turned up at his office mid-way through a press conference at 1.10pm on Thursday (June 3). However, it is learned police did

KUALA LUMPUR: About one-fifth of companies registered with the International Trade and Industry Minitry (Miti) have the approval to operate during the lockdown from June 1-14, says Datuk Seri Azmin Ali. The International Trade and Industry Minister said 586,308 companies had registered with the Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS)