COVID: 6,982 new cases, fourth straight day of surpassing 6,000 mark

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of new COVID-19 cases recorded daily has breached the 6,000 mark for four consecutive days, with 6,982 cases reported within the past 24 hours.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced via Twitter that the cumulative number of cases is now 765,949.

Selangor continued to record the highest number of daily cases at 2,907, followed by Kuala Lumpur (637), Negeri Sembilan (606), Johor (517), Sarawak (440), Penang (351) and Pahang (329).

Kedah recorded 257 cases, followed by Sabah (230), Melaka (202), Perak (182), Labuan (131), Kelantan (129), Terengganu (44), and Putrajaya (20). No new cases were reported in Perlis.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement that of the 6,982 new cases, three were imported and 6,979 were local infections.

He said 6,278 recovered cases were recorded today, bringing the cumulative figure for recoveries to 694,538.

"There are now 66,084 active cases, with 905 patients being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), 443 of whom require ventilator support," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham also said that 73 fatalities were reported today, involving 64 locals and nine foreigners, bringing the death toll to 5,327.

He said 17 new clusters were detected today, nine of them at workplaces, five in the community and three linked to high-risk groups.

The workplace clusters are Damai 16, Jalan By Pass Batu Anam and Keluli Industri Tiga in Johor; Perdagangan Harmoni Satu, Jalan Besar Teras Jernang and Persiaran Institusi construction site in Selangor; Kilometer 85 Mukah in Sarawak; Jalan Masjid India in Kuala Lumpur; and Jalan Masjid India in Penang.

The community clusters are Kampung Sungai Hilir Perupok and Kampung Pahi Kuala Krai in Kelantan; Kompleks Fasa Dua (Johor); Sungai Gamong (Sarawak); and Tanjung Pitas (Sabah).

Persiaran MARDI and Jalan Orkid in Selangor as well as Persiaran Soga in Johor are the high-risk group clusters.

-- BERNAMA