KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 17,105 new cases of COVID-19 was reported nationwide over the past 24 hours, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

In a Facebook post, he said the number brings the cumulative total of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia to 1,163,291.

Selangor still recorded the highest daily tally at 5,836 followed by (2,309), Johor (1,275), Kedah (1,036), and Sabah (1,010).

Perak recorded 967 new cases followed by Kelantan (915), Negeri Sembilan (816), Penang (798), Pahang (628), Melaka (508), Sarawak (494), Terengganu (429), Putrajaya (72), Perlis (seven) and Labuan (five).

Meanwhile, in a media statement, Dr Noor Hisham said of the 17,105 new cases, 1.9 per cent or 317 cases were in categories three, four and five and the rest were in the less severe categories of one and two.

"Some cases remain in the same category throughout the period of infection but some change case health status, whether improving to a lower category or deteriorating to a higher category," he added.

He said 195 fatalities were recorded today, with Selangor registering 88 deaths, followed by Johor (24); Penang (15); Kedah (13); Sabah (12); Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Pahang (eight each); Terengganu (seven); Perak (four); Kelantan (three); Sarawak (two) and Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Perlis (one each).

He said 173 deaths involved Malaysians and 22 were foreigners.

"The number of patients being treated at the intensive care unit (ICU) is 1,066, with 537 requiring ventilators.

"A total of 12,297 recovered cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative figure for recoveries in the country to 950,029," he added.

Dr Noor Hisham said 30 new clusters were detected, with 14 linked to the community, 14 involving workplaces and two linked to high-risk groups.

He said the COVID-19 infectivity rate or R-naught (Rt) in Malaysia yesterday was 1.07, with Terengganu registering the highest among states at 1.30, followed by Kelantan (1.25) and Perak (1.20).

Other states had an RT of more than 1.0 except for Negeri Sembilan, Perlis and Labuan, he said.

-- BERNAMA