However, the state has been hit instead by a shortage of vaccines which has led to the closure of several vaccination centres.

Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin said the “shocking surge” of cases was equivalent to 9,000 cases in the Klang Valley, comparing the population.

The previous daily case record was on Aug 11 when Penang had 1,385 cases.

Sim said that when “operation surge capacity” was carried out to boost the vaccine rollout in the Klang Valley, case numbers dropped to 5,000 per day.

“Penang must also apply more pressure to get the vaccines for the state. I urge the caretaker prime minister to make his last contribution to the people of the north by starting a ‘surge capacity operation’ in Penang, Kedah and the northern region,” he said in a statement.

Kedah recorded 1,852 cases today.

Previously, Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng had called for a surge capacity type vaccine drive in Penang because of the sharp rise in the number of cases there.

Penang has undergone several vaccine shortages of late, with four public vaccination centres along with scores of private ones forced to be closed as supply dwindled.

The state has given out 962,161 first doses or 54% of the Covid-19 vaccines to its target population of 1.3 million people as at Aug 15, while the number of second doses administered stands at 506,626 or 28%.

Penang health department data shows that there have been 14,508 cases in the past two weeks with 7,865 active cases. Seberang Perai Central continues to have the highest number of cases at 544 cases as of yesterday.