KUALA LUMPUR: According to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malaysia should be able to return to normalcy soon following positive development on the inoculation rate nationwide.
"The progress of daily vaccination rates in Malaysia today surpassed the world average per capita.
"Daily vaccinations have consistently recorded 250,000 doses a day. Our target is 300,000 injections a day starting this month," he said in a statement today, adding that this painted a picture that the country was on track to achieve herd immunity soon.
Ismail Sabri said the World Health Organisation (WHO) through the Covid-19 Technical Committee also recently shared the global data on increase in cases.
"The data showed that there has been an increase in the number of cases in most countries.
"For instance, in Africa, the increase is recorded at 16.7 per cent, Eastern Mediterranean recorded 16.4 per cent and in Europe 33 per cent. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian countries recorded an increase of 8.6 per cent.
"Several key factors are contributing to the increase, they include the new variants that are both more contagious and pose severe effects on individuals."
On Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) violations, Ismail Sabri said 547 individuals were arrested, where 533 were issued with compounds and 14 remanded yesterday.
97 had failed to adhere to physical distancing, followed by 56 who failed to wear face masks in public areas, 82 failed to follow MCO orders, 67 failed record patrons' details upon entry to premises, 57 left their homes without a valid reason, 44 were found ferrying more than the permitted number of occupants in a car and 201 were detained for other offences.
He also said 63 factories and business premises found to have violated the SOP had been ordered to close.
On Ops Benteng, he said authorities arrested 51 illegal immigrants and seized three land vehicles yesterday.