The following is a timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia during 2024. These two countries are the very last to report COVID-19 cases, which is Malaysia and New Zealand.
Timeline January
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 6 2,330 5,244,578 2,821 5,182,800 22 37,315 23,792 37 20 13 1,355 5,257,009 2,316 5,199,997 8 37,323 19,689 27 13 20 857 5,265,367 1,343 5,212,384 12 37,335 15,684 17 10 27 411 5,269,967 863 5,220,707 5 37,340 11,920 11 9
On 1 January 2024, the Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh encouraged teachers and students to wear face masks, and staff members to do self-tests if they have COVID-19 symptoms.
On 12 January, Health Minister Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad stated that the Health Ministry would not be setting up field hospitals following a decrease in COVID-19 cases.
On 13 January, four COVID-19 cases including a baby were detected at temporary flood evacuation centres in Johor state.
February
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 3 190 5,272,517 409 5,225,276 7 37,347 9,894 9 6 10 170 5,273,996 188 5,227,828 0 37,347 8,821 4 3 17 142 5,274,786 166 5,229,308 0 37,347 8,131 3 2 24 97 5,275,667 143 5,230,084 0 37,347 8,236 3 2
On 13 February, several health authorities including Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad reported a downward trend in COVID-19 cases, hospitalisation and deaths in the 14 day period leading up to 10 February.
March
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 1 63 5,276,312 97 5,230,953 1 37,348 8,011 1 1 8 65 5,276,880 66 5,231,597 0 37,348 7,935 1 1 15 82 5,277,473 64 5,232,165 0 37,348 7,960 2 2 22 74 5,277,929 94 5,232,678 0 37,348 7,833 0 0 29 60 5,278,355 75 5,233,212 0 37,348 7,795 0 0
On 25 March, the Health Ministry confirmed that COVID-19 would be integrated into the country's broader health approach as Malaysia transitioned into the endemic phase.
April
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 6 83 5,278,836 60 5,233,636 1 37,349 7,851 0 0 13 27 5,279,145 63 5,234,074 0 37,349 7,722 0 0 20 118 5,279,855 27 5,234,377 0 37,349 8,129 3 3 27 86 5,280,589 114 5,234,988 1 37,350 8,251 2 1
On 8 April, Health Ministry spokesperson Datuk Dr Muhammad Radzi Abu Hassan confirmed that the number of COVID-19 cases had dropped by 97.1% to 493 cases between 31 March and 6 April, compared to 17,256 cases in the first week of January 2024.
May
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 4 108 5,281,323 88 5,235,721 0 37,350 8,252 2 0 11 155 5,282,394 109 5,236,457 0 37,350 8,587 1 0 18 164 5,283,624 155 5,237,526 0 37,350 8,748 -1 1 25 222 5,284,992 162 5,238,755 1 37,351 8,886 1 0
On 19 May, the Ministry of Health reported that the number of COVID-19 cases increased by 14.8 per cent to 1,230 cases between 12 and 18 May 2024. The Ministry confirmed that Malaysia had reported no COVID-19 fatalities since 25 April. The Ministry also announced it had heightened preparedness measures following a recent wave in Singapore between 5 and 11 May, which had seen a twofold increase in cases there.
June
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 1 234 5,287,104 223 5,240,356 -1 37,350 9,398 1 0 15 323 5,291,716 323 5,243,699 1 37,351 10,666 0 3 22 488 5,294,537 315 5,246,584 0 37,351 10,602 0 0 29 419 5,298,347 485 5,249,401 0 37,351 11,595 0 6
On 3 June, several public health professionals including Universiti Putra Malaysia Public Health Medicine expert Prof Dr Malina Osman, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia health economics and public health specialist Prof Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh and former Health Ministry official Datuk Zainal Ariffin Omar have urged people to take COVID-19 and flu vaccines in response to rising cases in Singapore and Australia.
On 9 June, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad announced that post-Cabinet meeting had decided that Malaysia would continue a "living with COVID-19" approach.
On 13 June, Penang state health authorities confirmed they were monitoring COVID-19 and encouraged people to wear masks, practise social distancing and seek medical assistance for COVID-19 symptoms.
On 30 June, the Health Ministry announced that it would revise its COVID-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) to reflect the country's transition towards living with the COVID-19 pandemic.
July
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 6 416 5,302,017 415 5,253,207 0 37,351 11,459 -1 5 13 309 5,304,850 412 5,256,882 0 37,351 10,617 0 5 20 224 5,306,834 300 5,259,714 0 37,351 9,769 2 1 27 182 5,308,325 215 5,261,703 0 37,351 9,271 -1 3
On 5 July, the Health Ministry ended its policies of issuing Home Surveillance Orders (HSOs) to COVID-19 positive individuals and requiring positive individuals to report their COVID-19 self-test results to the MySejahtera app.
August
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 3 102 5,309,410 177 5,263,186 0 37,351 8,873 0 2 10 131 5,310,340 95 5,264,271 0 37,351 8,718 0 0 17 75 5,311,106 130 5,265,187 0 37,351 8,568 0 1 24 113 5,311,920 77 5,265,955 0 37,351 8,614 0 0
On 22 August, public health medicine specialist Professor Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh warned members of the public to be vigilant about Long COVID while Dr Balwant Singh Gendeh of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia advised those showing COVID-19 symptoms for more than three weeks to seek medical attention.
September
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 1 84 5,312,619 108 5,266,784 0 37,351 8,484 0 1 8 88 5,313,264 91 5,267,476 0 37,351 8,437 0 1 15 75 5,313,862 87 5,268,108 0 37,351 8,403 0 1 22 83 5,314,299 71 5,268,712 0 37,351 8,236 1 0 29 74 5,314,962 81 5,269,150 0 37,351 8,352 1 1
On 9 September, several NGOs including the Malaysian Society of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases (MyICID), National Cancer Society of Malaysia (NCSM), Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRC) and Diabetes Malaysia (DM) urged the Malaysian public to continue with hygienic practises to protect vulnerable groups including unvaccinated children.
October
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 6 112 5,315,773 72 5,269,821 0 37,351 8,601 -1 1 13 128 5,316,624 111 5,270,620 0 37,351 8,653 0 1 20 93 5,317,521 122 5,271,486 0 37,351 8,684 0 0 27 106 5,318,412 88 5,272,376 0 37,351 8,685 0 0
November
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 3 86 5,319,203 106 5,273,260 0 37,351 8,592 0 1 10 142 5,320,257 82 5,274,050 0 37,351 8,856 1 1 17 145 5,321,424 135 5,275,125 0 37,351 8,948 0 1 24 141 5,322,672 146 5,276,273 0 37,351 9,048 0 0
December
Date Cases Recoveries Deaths Current cases Sources New Total New Total New Total Active ICU Ventilators 1 179 5,324,043 129 5,277,524 0 37,351 9,168 -1 3 8 192 5,325,663 182 5,278,911 0 37,351 9,401 -1 3 15 187 5,327,385 210 5,280,533 0 37,351 9,501 0 0 22 182 5,328,862 192 5,282,257 0 37,351 9,254 0 1
On 4 December, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim postponed the signing of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) agreement, initially scheduled for 9 December, to January 2025 after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong tested positive for COVID-19.
On 23 December, the Malaysian Ministry of Health reported that the COVID-19 situation in Malaysia remained under control, with the number of reported bases dropping from 1,722 cases between 8 and 14 December to 1,477 cases between 15 and 21 December. The Ministry also reported that non-critical bed occupancy had fallen from 0.16 pe cent to 0.13 percent while ICU bed occupancy had declined from 0.14 percent to 0.10 percent. The Ministry also reported there had been no COVID-19 deaths since 25 April, with the total death toll for 2024 standing at 58 deaths.
References