KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has recorded the highest number of daily deaths from COVID-19 in the country with 207 cases reported in the last 24 hours and the same number the day before.

Health Director-General, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement today said the increase in fatalities had brought the cumulative number to 8,408 or 0.81 per cent of the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

He said the fatalities today involved 181 Malaysians and 26 foreign nationals.

"Out of the 16,117 new cases today, 87 cases or 0.5 per cent are in category five or critical condition, requiring the use of ventilators and with 95.4 per cent of them having no history of vaccination against the infection.

"In category four needing oxygen support are 124 cases or 0.8 per cent with 83.9 per cent of them having had no vaccination.

"Category three or having pneumonia involves 135 cases or 0.8 per cent with 73.3 per cent of them also having no history of vaccination," he noted.

With regard to category two with light symptoms, Dr Noor Hisham said there were 6,710 cases or 41.6 per cent with 79.5 per cent having no vaccination against COVID-19 yet, while category one with no symptoms involved 9,061 cases or 56.3 per cent with 94.4 per cent of them also having no history of vaccination.

"All this is based on the clinical condition of the patients after just being diagnosed with COVID-19.

"There are those who remain in the same category during the period of infection and also those whose condition is improving or worsening to another category," he added.

He also said that overall, at the early diagnosis stage, 2.1 per cent were reported today as being in category three to five (82.7 per cent with no history of vaccination) and 97.9 per cent in categories one and two (88.1 per cent, also with no history of vaccination).

-- BERNAMA