A worsening coronavirus outbreak in Malaysia has sparked alarm and is spilling over into neighbouring Thailand, which recently discovered a more infectious variant in its south believed to have come from Malaysia.

Infections have not abated, with a record 7,289 new cases reported today, pushing the country’s tally to 525,889 — a five-fold increase since the start of the year. Deaths have spiked to more than 2,300.

Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah warned that the country has to “prepare for the worst” amid signs that new cases could spike further.

Senior Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob expressed concern that the number of infected children has grown eight-fold to 64,046 so far this year, from just over 8,000 at the end of last year. Two-thirds are under 12, including 6,290 babies under 18 months old, he said.

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