KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 189 cases or 0.69 per cent of the 27,500 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the country yesterday are in categories three, four, and five.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the remaining 27,311 cases or 99.31 per cent are in categories one and two.

"Of the 189 cases in categories three to five reported yesterday, 25 cases are unvaccinated or have yet to complete vaccination while 89 cases are fully vaccinated.

"Apart from that, 38 cases from categories three to five have received booster doses, 108 cases involved individuals aged 60 and above, and 48 cases have comorbidities," he said in a statement today.

He said a total of 1,841 cases were admitted to hospitals yesterday, comprising 677 cases in categories three to five, and 1,164 cases in categories one and two.

On recoveries, Dr Noor Hisham said 27,557 recovered cases were reported yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries in the country to 3,169,669.

He also said that a total of 360 cases required treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with 194 cases requiring respiratory support.

On the intensive care unit (ICU) bed usage, Dr Noor Hisham said that nine states recorded bed utilisation of more than 50 per cent, namely in Putrajaya (67 per cent), Perlis (64 per cent), Kelantan (60 per cent), Johor (59 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (58 per cent), Sabah (55 per cent), Melaka (53 per cent), Selangor (51 per cent) and Penang (50 per cent).

Overall, Dr Noor Hisham said each state was ready with a quick response plan in the event of an increase in cases requiring admission to the COVID-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC), hospitals, and ICUs.

-- BERNAMA