KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — The current Covid-19 situation in Malaysia remains stable and has shown a significant downward trend compared to last year, with no deaths recorded so far this year.

The Ministry of Health (MOH), in a statement today, said although neighbouring countries have recently reported an increase in cases, the number of Covid-19 cases in the country up to Epidemiological Week (EW) 19/2026 had declined by 12.6 per cent (9,682 cases) compared to the same period last year.

“Although there was a 0.7 per cent increase (575 cases compared to EW18/2026), the situation remains under control.

“This is because the vast majority of reported cases only involve mild symptoms that do not require hospital treatment, and no Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded thus far this year,” the statement said.

The ministry said continuous genomic sequencing activities had also detected several new subvariants within the community, but the variants did not show any tendency to trigger a serious wave of infections.

“The ministry will continue to strengthen traveller screening at International Entry Points and cooperate with the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency (AKPS) in monitoring activities and public health preparedness to ensure early detection and immediate action can be implemented should there be an increased risk of Covid-19 transmission from abroad,” it said.

MOH said Covid-19 infections are now being managed under the category of common respiratory tract infections such as the common cold and influenza.

In this regard, the public is advised to continue practising self-healthcare measures, including maintaining hand hygiene, wearing face masks when symptomatic or in crowded areas, and obtaining vaccination protection.

“Vaccination is highly encouraged, especially for high-risk groups such as senior citizens, individuals with chronic illnesses, immunocompromised groups, and pregnant women to reduce the risk of infection complications.

“These vaccination services are available at selected government health clinics nationwide,” the statement said.

Recently, Singapore was reported to be monitoring a rise in Covid-19 cases after 12,700 cases were recorded for the week of May 10 to 16, compared to 8,000 cases in the previous week. — Bernama