COVID: 22,970 recovery cases today, exceed new infections - MOH

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of recoveries from COVID-19 in Malaysia today has exceeded the number of new cases for two consecutive days in which 22,970 cases of recoveries were reported compared to 17,577 new infections recorded, as of 12 noon today.

Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the new development brought the cumulative number of individuals who recovered from the pandemic to 1,823,248.

He said there were 1,223 cases being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) comprising 891 confirmed COVID-19 cases while 332 suspected and probable cases were under investigation.

"A total of 720 cases require respiratory assistance involving 410 confirmed COVID-19 cases while 310 were suspected or probable cases under investigation," he said in a statement on the development of COVID-19 today.

Dr Noor Hisham said of the total daily cases reported today, 244 cases or 1.4 per cent were in category three (pneumonia), four (requiring oxygen assistance) and five (on ventilator), while the remaining 17,333 cases or 98.6 per cent were in category one (asymptomatic) and two (mild symptoms).

Of the new cases, Dr Noor Hisham said three were import cases involving Malaysians, while 17,574 cases of local infection involved 15,438 locals.

He said a total of 19 clusters were also detected in the last 24 hours involving 11 clusters in the work place, six community clusters and two clusters of high-risk groups.

On the infectivity rate of COVID-19 or R-naught (Rt), Dr Noor Hisham said the Rt in Malaysia yesterday was 0.98 with all states recording Rt of at least 1.0 except Sabah, Kedah, Melaka, Labuan, Negeri Sembilan, Putrajaya, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Sarawak is the state with the highest Rt of 1.11 followed by Perak and Terengganu (1.04), Perlis 1.03, Pahang 1.02, Johor and Penang 1.01 and Kelantan 1.00 respectively.

The death data will be uploaded and displayed via Github and the COVIDNOW website at https://covidnow.moh.gov.my this midnight.

Sharing developments on the domestic tourism bubble pilot project to Langkawi Island which entered its second day, Dr Noor Hisham said today four more individuals tested positive for COVID-19 during screening test before leaving for the resort island.

According to the data shared on his social media, they involved one each detected during screening at the international checkpoint (PMA) of Penang Airport and the PMA in Subang, while the other two were detected during screening at the Ferry PMA in Kuala Perlis.

Yesterday, Dr Noor Hisham said five individuals were found positive after undergoing screening before departing by air and sea to the island.

-- BERNAMA