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KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 — Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said parents who continue to put their children at risk of exposure to Covid-19 could face more severe action from the authorities than fines.
He said under gazetted law, the police can open investigations into such parents who risk the health and lives of their children.
“Before 2021, most infection cases reported were people aged 60 years and above. But at the beginning of the year, the ministry recorded more younger people being infected,” Dr Adham said during a press conference with National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (CITF) Coordinating Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Based on the data available to the ministry, over 20,000 children from the ages of 0 to 12 have been infected by the virus.
“If you also take into account those in the age group of 13 to 17, this means there are over 40,000 cases of Malaysians under the age of 18 who have been infected,” he said.
Thus far for those under 20, Dr Adham said nearly all of the infected are under Category 1 and 2 of Covid-19.
“To date we have not yet seen any cases involving children or minors which can be classified as Categories 3, 4, and 5,” he said.
On Tuesday, Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the number of children infected with Covid-19 include 6,290 infants under the age of 18 months.
