Malaysia

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report

Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

Malaysia
Situation summary
• As of 29 August, there have been a total of 1 706 089 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Malaysia.
• In the past seven days:
o A total of 150 996 new cases have been reported with no increasing trend compared to the
previous week. The highest single-day increase (24 599 cases) was reported on 26 August.
o Most of the new cases reported (79%) were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
o Another 1919 new deaths have been reported, bringing the total number of COVID-19
deaths in Malaysia to 16 087. The case fatality rate (CFR) for the week was 1.3%. The overall
case fatality rate is 0.9%.
o The average number of intensive care unit (ICU) cases per day was 1010, and the average
ICU bed occupancy rate (COVID-19 cases only) has plateaued at 45%.
o The proportion of unlinked cases at the time of reporting was 37.5%.
o The average number of COVID-19 tests conducted was about 148 000 tests per day.
• Ten out of 16 states and territories have reported an increase in new COVID-19 cases in the past
week.
o The highest numbers of local cases were reported in Selangor (38 525), Sabah (20 981) and
Sarawak (13 939).
o The number of new COVID-19 cases in the Klang Valley is stable and does not indicate an
increasing trend.
o The number of new community COVID-19 cases in Selangor has decreased by 14.1%
compared to the previous epidemiological week.
o Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Sabah reported the highest seven-day incidence rates.
o The highest percentage increases in new COVID-19 cases compared to the previous week
were reported in Perlis (54.8%, 472 cases), Johor (31.6%, 13 279 cases) and Sabah (24.5%,
20 981 cases).
o The highest weekly proportion of unlinked cases at the time of reporting was recorded in
FT Penang (55%), FT Kuala Lumpur (51%), Perak and Selangor (44%).
o Selangor reported the highest number of deaths (577).
• The Delta variant has been detected in all states and represents 99% of the total variants detected in
August.
• As of 26 August, Selangor state officials noted that of the total 53 571 workers who tested positive
for COVID-19 from July 2021, 62% were linked to the manufacturing sector, 14.5% to the services
sector, 13.5% to the construction sector and 10% to the trade sector.
• Between July and August, Selangor state enforcement authorities conducted 220 checks on COVID-
19 standard operating procedure compliance in the workplace. From that, 36% of premises
conducted severe offences against COVID-19 measures, 19% were found to have minor COVID-19
measure offences, and 45% successfully met all government directives.
• As of 29 August, 44.9% of Malaysia’s total population have received their second dose of the COVID-
19 vaccine.

Upcoming events and priorities

• The government aims to accelerate the COVID-19 National Immunisation Programme in six states
across Malaysia. The target states are among those with the lowest vaccination coverage. They
include Sabah, Kedah, Kelantan, Johor, Terengganu and Perak. By early September, authorities aim to
increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage to more than 50% of the adult population.
• Under the Malaysian National Health Agenda (ANMS), health authorities indicate that Malaysia is
looking to adopt a strategy of living with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

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 Malaysia
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report
Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

• Authorities have announced that FT Labuan will move to Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan, and
Negeri Sembilan will transition to Phase 2. Under Phase 4, all economic sectors are permitted to
resume operations, subject to standard operating procedures. Moreover, social events such as
weddings will be allowed at 50% of the maximum venue capacity.

National transmission assessment

National transmission stage assessment:
Stage 3 (high confidence) – Large-scale community transmission1
Week 34 (23–29 August 2021)
The number of cases reported in the past seven days (150 996) has plateaued compared to the
previous week. This translates to an average of 21 570 cases per day. The majority of cases reported
were either asymptomatic (46.1%) or presented with mild symptoms (51.8%) at the time of reporting.
Severe and critical cases made up 2.1% of total cases. Among the newly reported cases, 21% were fully
vaccinated against COVID-19. Nationwide, an average of 1010 cases required ICU support each day,
and of these, an average of 484 (47.9%) required ventilator support. The COVID-19 ICU utilization rate
averaged 45% per day. Eight states and territories reported all-cause ICU bed occupancy rates above
80%. The number of deaths decreased by 15.7%, with 1919 deaths recorded in the past week.
Selangor reported the highest number of new deaths (577 or 30.1% of total deaths) in the past seven
days. The number of tests conducted in the past week averaged 148 126 tests per day. The seven-day
test positivity rate was 14.6%. Of the newly reported cases, 77 (0.1%) were imported, and 150 919
(99.9%) were locally transmitted. Ten states and territories reported an increase in the number of new
COVID-19 cases, with four states reporting increases of more than 20%. The states of Selangor, Sabah
and Sarawak reported the highest numbers of new cases. Of newly reported cases, 56 604 (37.5%)
were unlinked at the time of reporting. Among newly reported clusters,2 59.7% were linked to
workplaces, while 32% were linked to the community or religious gatherings. As of 17 August, all states
and territories across Malaysia have detected the Delta variant among cases. Of the total 670 variants
of concern detected among local samples, 453 cases (67.6%) bore the Delta lineage.

1
The transmission stage assessment is based on three sets of indicators relating to i) trends in cases (including
confirmed cases and positivity rates); ii) severe illness (including ICU admissions, mortality and severe acute
respiratory illnesses case reporting); and iii) sources of infection (including the proportion of local/imported
cases, unlinked cases and clusters). Having more than 25% of locally acquired infections unlinked to known
clusters is one of the main signals (but not the only indicator) for large-scale community transmission (Stage 3).
2
Cluster types are categorized based on the narrative provided by the Ministry of Health, usually based on the
profile of the index case. Cases within each cluster, especially beyond first-generation transmission, may not
necessarily be limited to the same setting as the index case.
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 Malaysia
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report
Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

EPI Update Tests Cases Deaths

COVID-19 1 036 888 150 996 1919
Data reported for EPI
Tests in the New cases in the Deaths in the
week ending 29 August
past 7 days past 7 days past 7 days
2021
(% difference compared (-2.3%) (+0.5%) (+15.7%)
to the previous 7 days)
22 461 139 1 706 089 16 087
Cumulative tests Cumulative cases Cumulative deaths

7.6% 0.94%
Positivity rate Case fatality rate

77 (0.1%) 56 604 1470

Imported cases Imported cases in the Active clusters
and clusters past 7 days (37.5%)
Cases in the past 7 days with
no link

1010 2242* 45.0%

Average COVID-19 cases in Average total ICU beds Average COVID-19 ICU
ICU bed occupancy rate**
Health Service
Provision 18 646 43 042 40 458
Total COVID-19 hospital beds Total hospital beds Total beds at low-risk
quarantine and treatment
centres

2 631 763 82.8% 62.6%

Vaccination Total vaccine doses Proportion of adult Proportion of adult
administered in the past 7 population who have had at population who are fully
days least one vaccine dose vaccinated

*Six-day average up to 29 August 2021.

** Average COVID-19 ICU cases per day over average total available ICU beds nationwide. Source: MOH Malaysia (GitHub).

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 Malaysia
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report
Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

Epidemiology
Fig 1. Daily reported COVID-19 cases, Malaysia, as of 29 August 2021

Fig. 1 indicates the number of daily confirmed new cases recorded in Malaysia. The background colour
bands indicate the implementation timeline of COVID-19 MCO measures throughout the epidemic. The
orange band refers to the implementation of an MCO. The yellow band refers to a conditional MCO
(CMCO), while the green band refers to a recovery MCO (RMCO). The four-phase National Recovery Plan
has been in place since 15 June. Seven states (Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Terengganu, Penang, Negeri
Sembilan and Sabah) are in Phase 2, two regions (Sarawak and Perlis) are in Phase 3, and FT Labuan has
transitioned to Phase 4.

Table 1: Active cases and real-time reproductive number (Rt) estimates by state, as of 29 August 2021
State Active casesa Active cases/100 000 7-day incidence/100 000b Rt estimate 95% CI
MALAYSIA 295 885 906 462.1 1.01 1.01–1.02
Selangor 82 892 1267.9 589.2 0.94 0.94–0.95
FT Kuala Lumpur 16 998 958.3 395.2 0.83 0.82–0.84
Negeri Sembilan 5991 530.7 233 0.79 0.77–0.81
Johor 23 162 612.6 351.2 1.07 1.06–1.09
Kedah 25 190 1152.8 603.2 1.04 1.03–1.05
Malacca 8083 866.6 333.3 0.98 0.96–1.00
Sarawak 25 105 891.4 494.9 1.24 1.23–1.26
Sabah 37 319 954.8 536.8 1.14 1.13–1.16
Pahang 8493 505.9 254.2 0.98 0.96–1.00
Penang 22 553 1271.6 684.3 1.10 1.09–1.12
Perak 14 210 566.1 317.2 1.05 1.03–1.07
Kelantan 17 283 906.4 471.5 1.05 1.04–1.07
Terengganu 7503 595.8 331.9 1.07 1.04–1.09
FT Labuan 41 41.2 32.1 – –
FT Putrajaya 451 410 206.4 0.86 0.78–0.94
Perlis 611 239.7 185.2 1.20 1.12–1.29
a This state-level reporting is on a rolling 14-day basis, from 16 to 29 August 2021, and excludes imported
cases.
b Excludes imported cases. Source: MOH Malaysia.

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 Malaysia
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report
Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

Table 2: Total cases, total deaths and case fatality rates by state, as of 29 August 2021
State Total cases Total deaths Case fatality rate (%)
MALAYSIA 1 706 089 16 087 0.9
Selangor 596 057 5709 1.0
FT Kuala Lumpur 171 564 2050 1.2
Negeri Sembilan 90 992 1003 1.1
Sarawak 112 245 519 0.5
Johor 134 223 1908 1.4
Kedah 95 016 848 0.9
Malacca 47 746 671 1.4
Sabah 142 939 1105 0.8
Pahang 42 547 415 1.0
Perak 65 745 474 0.7
Penang 82 979 580 0.7
Kelantan 74 739 391 0.5
FT Labuan 9806 149 1.5
Terengganu 32 340 222 0.7
FT Putrajaya 5332 20 0.4
Perlis 1819 23 1.3

• Situation update on COVID-19 in Sabah:

o Sabah has reported an increase in COVID-19 cases from early July. The seven-day incidence
rate is 536.8 cases per 100 000 population.
o In the past seven days:
▪ The number of locally acquired community cases has increased by 24.5% compared
to the previous week.
▪ A total of 20 981 cases were detected among the community.
▪ Of the new community cases, 12 930 (61.6%) were identified through close contact
screenings, 761 (3.6%) through cluster-related screenings, and 7290 (34.7%) through
other types of screening (e.g. symptomatic), which also represents the proxy for
unlinked cases at the time of reporting.
▪ Of the four new clusters detected in the past week, three clusters (75%) were linked
to workplace settings.
▪ A total of 195 new COVID-19-associated deaths have been reported, indicating an
63.9% increase compared to the previous week. Of these, 71 (36.4%) were brought-
in-dead (i.e. dead on arrival) cases.
▪ The COVID-19 ICU bed occupancy rate is 95.4%.
o Efforts to accelerate vaccination in the region continue. Sabah has the lowest COVID-19
vaccination coverage across Malaysia. As of 29 August, 57.2% of adults in Sabah have
received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while 38% of adults have received both vaccine
doses.

Clusters
• Of the 4673 clusters identified in Malaysia since the start of the pandemic, 1470 clusters are
currently active.
• In the past week:
o 231 new clusters were identified,
o 138 (59.7%) new clusters were linked to workplaces, and
o 74 (32%) new clusters were linked to the community or religious gatherings.
• Sabah authorities noted that a total of 2578 new COVID-19 cases were recorded on 29 August. Of
those cases, 402 (15.6%) were among partially vaccinated individuals, and 616 (23.9%) were among
those fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Furthermore, 782 cases (30.3%) were unvaccinated, while
778 cases (30.2%) were among individuals not eligible for vaccination.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report
Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

Health-care capacity
• The Ministry of Health (MOH) has implemented the first hybrid COVID-19 assessment centre (CAC) at
the Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Selangor. The centre will utilize information technology systems to
maximize the use of the e-COVID-19 system. Positive COVID-19 patients can undergo virtual health
examinations via the system and be monitored throughout their home quarantine period.
Authorities aim to expand this system to areas beyond the Klang Valley.
• State health officials noted that the COVID-19 bed occupancy rate in Selangor has decreased by 35%,
from 101% on 1 August to 65% on 28 August. Similarly, the percentage of severe COVID-19 cases
admitted to hospital has decreased.
• Kelantan has opened a COVID-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centre for indigenous
communities. The centre can accommodate up to 300 COVID-19 patients at any one time.
• Health-care workers from FT Labuan have been mobilized to aid COVID-19 efforts in Sabah, Kelantan
and Penang. Health-care workers include medical officers and nurses.

Strategic approach
Public Health and Social Measures
• Under Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan, more relaxed public health and social measures will be
permitted in the affected area.
o All economic sectors are permitted to operate, subject to standard operating procedures.
o Seminars and activities involving physical meetings will be permitted, limited to 50% of the
maximum venue capacity.
o Social events (i.e weddings, festivals) will be permitted, limited to 50% of the maximum
venue capacity.
• Johor:
o Travellers entering Malaysia through Johor will be required to submit their application for
home isolation at least seven days prior to arrival. Moreover, travellers will be required to
undertake an RT-PCR test three days prior to departure and upon arrival. Travellers must be
fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The isolation period of travellers will be 14 days and may
be extended by an additional seven days based on MOH assessment.
• Sarawak:
o Inter-district travel from Sarawak’s southern zones will be prohibited until 5 September.
Travel is only permitted if individuals present a negative RT-PCR and RTK-Antigen test taken
within three days prior to entry.

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Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Situation Report
Weekly report for the week ending 29 August 2021

Vaccines
Fig 2. Proportion of the national population that have received COVID-19 vaccines (%), as of 29 August
2021

70.0

60.0
Proportion vaccinated (%)

50.0

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

-
1/3/2021 1/4/2021 1/5/2021 1/6/2021 1/7/2021 1/8/2021

Dose 1 Dose 2

Fig. 2 indicates the proportion of the total population vaccinated (%) with one dose (blue) and two doses
(orange) of the COVID-19 vaccine.

• As of 29 August, a total of 34 037 548 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered across
Malaysia. A total of 14 648 590 individuals, or 44.9% of Malaysia’s total population, have completed
the vaccination with two doses.
• Two mega COVID-19 vaccination centres in Malacca began operations on 30 August. The centres will
increase the daily COVID-19 vaccination rate in the state to 22 000 doses per day.

Risk communication and community engagement

• The MOH has recommended the use of double masking and face shields to reduce SARS-CoV-2
transmission within the public. Double masking indicates wearing a cloth mask over a medical
surgical mask.
• The MOH has begun communicating information to the public regarding the Delta variant of concern.

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