
N Sembilan sees 13 pct rise in Covid-19 cases in early June
SEREMBAN (June 11): Negeri Sembilan reported 110 new Covid-19 cases during Epidemiological Week 23 (June 1–7), marking a 13 per cent increase from the 97 cases recorded the previous week.
State Health director Dr Zuraida Mohamed said most cases were detected at private clinics across the state and involved outpatients.
'No Covid-19 clusters have been reported so far, and the situation remains under control. The Health Department (JKNNS) will continue to monitor the Covid-19 situation closely,' she told Bernama today.
She also advised the public to practise self-preventive measures at all times, especially high-risk groups who are encouraged to get vaccinated to reduce the risk of infection, serious complications, and death. – Bernama covid-19 Dr Zuraidah JKNNS Negeri Sembilan

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
China to offer free pre-school education from autumn
BEIJING, Aug 5 — China said today it would introduce free pre-school education from the autumn, as the world's second most populous nation seeks to boost childbirth in the face of a looming demographic crisis. China's population has declined for three consecutive years, with United Nations demography models predicting it could fall from around 1.4 billion today to 800 million by 2100. There were just 9.54 million births in China last year, half the number in 2016, when Beijing ended its one-child policy after more than three decades. The population declined by 1.39 million last year, and China lost its crown as the world's most populous country to India in 2023. Marriage rates are also at record low levels, with many young couples put off having babies by high child-rearing costs and career concerns. Yesterday China's cabinet, the State Council, announced that: 'starting in the fall semester of 2025, childcare and education fees will be waived for children attending public kindergartens in the year before school'. The policy aims to 'effectively reduce the cost of education, improve the level of public education services, and provide education that satisfies the people', the State Council said. Beijing described it as an 'important measure that concerns thousands upon thousands of households and relates to long-term development'. Funding for the new measure would be shared between central and local authorities, while children attending approved private kindergartens would also be eligible for fee reductions. The announcement comes a week after the country said it would offer parents the equivalent of US$500 per year for each child under the age of three. At a news conference in Beijing last week, National Health Commission (NHC) official Wang Haidong acknowledged that the country had 'gradually shifted from a phase of population growth to a phase of population decline'. 'The childcare subsidy system can directly increase people's cash income,' Guo Yanhong, vice minister of the NHC, said. Chinese leaders have in recent years struggled to breathe life into the economy, beset by a years-long property crisis that has spooked would-be homebuyers and dissuaded many people from having children. China's shrinking population is also ageing fast, sparking worries about the future of the country's pension system. There were nearly 310 million people aged 60 and over in 2024. — AFP


The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Weight loss programme turns Besut cops lean and mean
JERTIH: About 28 police officers shed up to a phenomenal 25kg in a two-month weight loss programme held from early June to July. Besut police chief Supt Azamuddin Ahmad @ Abu said officers from various divisions had successfully lost weight through the 'Biggest Losses' Body Mass Index (BMI) reduction programme implemented for the first time by the Besut district police headquarters. "The healthy weight loss was achieved through physical activities such as hill-climbing, walking by the beach, military-style exercise and fitness training, as well as nutritional care. "The ideal BMI is not only a requirement for improving work quality but also reflects the image of professionalism of members when carrying out challenging tasks more effectively through the level of physical preparedness as well as increasing public confidence,' he told Bernama after the closing ceremony of the programme at the Gelam Mas Police Quarters here. Azamuddin said the programme, in collaboration with the Besut District Health Office, showed positive success as despite the training being held for only three times a week for two months, the effects were most encouraging. In January, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution announced that the Royal Malaysia Police will only confirm a promotion if the officer's BMI is between 28 and 30. In February, Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin reportedly said that 40% of 3,900 officers had a BMI that disqualifies them from promotion as the BMI threshold was set at a decent rating of 28. In Kuala Lumpur, a fitness crackdown was launched after police discovered that some 10% of its 122,000 officers were overweight. That means 11,000 cops were assigned to huffing and puffing through mandatory workouts and calorie-counting diets. — Bernama


Daily Express
6 hours ago
- Daily Express
Vape bans in Malaysia risk fuelling black market, resurgence in smoking, experts warn
Published on: Tuesday, August 05, 2025 Published on: Tue, Aug 05, 2025 Text Size: As Malaysia continues to refine its tobacco control strategy, the message from experts is clear - good intentions should not override evidence and experience. - Bernama pic for illustration only. Kota Kinabalu: Experts have warned that ramping up restrictions on vaping, especially moves tantamount to a ban, could trigger unintended and potentially harmful consequences, even as more states move in that direction. States like Johor and Kelantan, which have banned the sale of vape products since 2016 and 2015, respectively, continue to record high user numbers, with more than 150,000 users in Johor and over 30,000 in Kelantan. The availability of illicit vape products in the two states has raised concerns not only because they point to ineffective enforcement, but also the health issues that come with illicit product use, including the possibility of drug abuse. Malaysia is not alone in facing issues related to illicit vape use. A similar pattern has been observed in neighbouring Singapore, the country renowned for strict enforcement, but also where a complete ban on vaping has failed to curb its usage. A survey by Milieu Insight found vape usage among Singaporeans rose from 3.9 per cent to 5.2 per cent between late 2021 and 2023. For context, the island republic's vape ban has been in place since 2018. Advertisement Back in Malaysia, several states, namely Terengganu, Perlis, Pahang, and Kedah, have implemented bans or stopped issuing new licenses for vape businesses. A health expert and economist say the trend of illicit vape use illustrates a core weakness in prohibitionist approaches: they often do not reduce demand, but instead shift it to illegal and unregulated channels. In a perfect world, a complete ban is ideal. But realistically, it has several repercussions,' said Professor Dr Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. 'We're already seeing a rise in black market tobacco and vape products. These are untaxed and unregulated, making them more dangerous to users.' Sharifa said that in countries burdened by high smoking rates and low success with traditional nicotine replacement therapies (NRT), there may be a role for tobacco harm reduction (THR) products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and oral nicotine pouches. She said some recalcitrant smokers who find it hard to quit with traditional NRT may benefit from alternatives, though the effectiveness depends on product quality and enforcement capabilities. She cited countries like Sweden and Norway, which use snus and nicotine pouches and are projected to reduce tobacco smoking rates below 5 per cent in the coming years. These nations also have among the lowest rates of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease in the EU. In Japan and South Korea, the use of HTPs has coincided with a decline in smoking prevalence. In contrast, Australia's tightly regulated medical-vaping model is struggling. Under rules introduced in October 2024, vapes can only be sold via pharmacies with a prescription. But data from The Daily Telegraph revealed that just one in every 1,686 vape sales occurred through legal channels. Meanwhile, major suppliers, including Philip Morris, have exited the market, citing unsustainable regulatory burdens. The stricter controls have had a paradoxical impact. A month later, the same daily reported that more than one-in-10 of Australians aged 18 to 24 are now smoking cigarettes, a 36 per cent surge in less than a year. 'Policies don't always produce the desired results,' said Dr Carmelo Ferlito, chief executive of the Centre for Market Education. 'We've seen this in prohibition-era America and communist countries. Restrictions shift consumption underground rather than eliminate it.' Ferlito argues that heavy-handed bans fail to account for economic realities and consumer behaviour. He said that when in-demand products are banned, people would just find a way to procure them from illegal sources, and this was why 'good intentions' were not enough when it came to policy-making. 'Often, policies are designed as wishlists, ignoring the 'laws' of economics. 'For example, I could proclaim that I could fly and jump out a window. But if I do so, ignoring the laws of gravity, I could jump out of the window, but I won't be able to fly. That's the reality.' Ferlito said he believes regulation should facilitate reputable suppliers to bring in products legally, lowering the risk of counterfeit products. This should be accompanied by education and awareness on the trade-offs involved in the consumption of alternatives to cigarettes or stopping altogether. Sharifa said two Cochrane reviews, which are internationally recognised as the highest standard in evidence-based health care, have shown the benefits of THR in smoking cessation. 'Vaping was never intended for youth use, but weak regulation, lax enforcement, and irresponsible vendors have enabled widespread abuse. 'The situation has been further compounded by black market imports from abroad.' As Malaysia continues to refine its tobacco control strategy, the message from experts is clear - good intentions should not override evidence and experience. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia