DAILY Covid-19 infections are expected to breach the 15,000-mark soon as the country is “fully” under the Omicron variant, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said as he urged those yet to get their booster shots to do so.

Malaysia reported 10,089 new cases today, a record for this year.

“Fully into Omicron wave. Cases will breach 15k soon. 

“There are still one million senior citizens who have yet to receive their booster shot.

“Please help by telling your elderly loved ones that they must get their booster immediately,” he tweeted after Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced today’s record number of daily cases.

The bulk of new infections today – 99.24% – are in the mild categories of 1 and 2, and only 77 cases are in the more severe categories of 3, 4 and 5, Noor Hisham also tweeted.

Health authorities have emphasised that while vaccination and the booster dose may not prevent infection, they do reduce severity of the disease.

Khairy had also warned previously that cases are expected to rise due to the more transmissible Omicron variant, along with the reopening of more economic sectors, international travel and physical lessons in school.

He said the public should not panic but look at other indicators instead, such as ventilator usage and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, which have been low and a sign that the healthcare system is not being stretched.

To date, 78.8% of the total population have had two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 37.7% have received a booster shot. – February 6, 2022.