Malaysia Halts Release of Standalone Covid Infection Data

Move intended to reduce ‘fear factor’ around rising infections
Daily infections hit a record of 27,831 on Wednesday

Health workers at the front desk of a Covid-19 testing center in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. — Health workers at the front desk of a Covid-19 testing center in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
Photographer: Samsul Said/Bloomberg

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By Yantoultra Ngui and Ravil Shirodkar

February 17, 2022 at 10:26 AM UTC

Updated on

February 17, 2022 at 11:59 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Malaysia will stop releasing standalone data on Covid-19 infections in order to reduce the “fear factor” about rapidly rising cases driven by the omicron surge, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said.

Instead, the number will be announced the following day together with figures on hospital occupancy and usage of intensive care units. Daily cases hit a record 27,831 on Wednesday.