COVID-19 patient admission in health facilities down 15 pct - Dr Noor Hisham

KUALA LUMPUR: The total number of COVID-19 patient admission into health facilities for every 100,000 residents fell 15 per cent in the 17th Epidemiology Week (ME) from April 24 to 30 2022 compared to the 16th ME.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said COVID-19 patient admission into public hospitals for every 100,000 residents fell 20 per cent from the first ME to 17th ME.

"Categories one and two patient admission into public hospitals for every 100,000 residents in the 17th ME compared to 16th ME dropped 33 per cent while it was unchanged for categories three, four and five.

"The percentage of bed occupancy in non-critical COVID-19 facilities was down 22 per cent in 17th ME compared to 16th ME with bed occupancy in intensive care unit (ICU) decreasing by eight per cent.

"Bed usage at Low-Risk COVID-19 Treatment Centres (PKRC) dropped 75 per cent and the total cases requiring respiratory assistance (ABP) fell 11 per cent as at 17th ME," he said in a statement today.

He said positive COVID-19 cases are still being monitored via the COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) nationwide with the number patient arrivals to the centre down 37 per cent between the 17th and 16th ME.

"The number of new COVID-19 cases undergoing monitoring at home also dropped 34.7 per cent while the number of cases referred by CAC to PKRC or hospitals also fell 33.3 per cent," he said.

He said the cumulative new cases stand at 4,448,004 cases with 45,506 active cases recorded as at April 30 and the cumulative recoveries were at 4,366,951 cases with 35,547 death cases.

"The cumulative clusters so far stand at 7,010 with 84 clusters still active as reported on April 30," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the number of recoveries on the 17th ME was 56,352 cases compared to 72,128 cases on the 16th ME which was a fall of 21.9 per cent while new cases on 17th ME were 20,937 compared with 44,665 cases on 16th ME which was a drop of 53.1 per cent.

He said the number of local cases also fell by 52.8 per cent from 44.193 cases to 20,876 cases while the number of imported cases fell 87.1 per cent from 472 cases to 61 cases and the number of deaths dropped by 37.1 per cent from 82 cases to 56 cases.

"The number of active cases in the 17th ME compared to the 16th ME decreased by 35.3 per cent from 637,626 cases to 412,555 cases, as well as the average RT value decreased by 15.7 per cent over the same period," he said.

-- BERNAMA