MELAKA: There have been over 7,000 Covid-19 cases involving children under 12 in the state, says state Health and Anti-Drug Committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

       He said out of 11,755 cases, a total of 7,738 cases or 13.9% were linked to children below 12 under the education clusters.

       “This figure has surpassed the national infection rate of 9.9%.

       “The accumulative figure on Covid-19 infections affecting children in the state as of Wednesday (Feb 9) is the second-highest after community and workplace clusters,” he said after visiting a vaccination centre at Merlimau on Thursday (Feb 10).

       Dr Muhamad Akmal said the education clusters increased after schools were reopened apart from several isolated cases in a few schools that were not classified as part of the cluster.

       “There were 3,297 cases among children between the ages of one to three, 647 cases among toddlers between the ages of one month to one year old and 73 babies below one month while four deaths were recorded involving teens aged 12,” he said.

       He also said hospitals in the state have the capacities to treat children while the admission rate in the intensive care unit was still negligible.

       Earlier, Dr Muhamad Akmal and his wife Dr Fatin Nadhirah Idrus witnessed the vaccination of their eldest son, Muhammad Ziyad, seven, who is autistic.

       “I want to express my confidence that vaccination for children is safe,” he said.