KUALA LUMPUR: New COVID-19 cases in Malaysia on Sunday recorded a significant decrease to 6,999 cases as compared to 9,020 cases on Saturday, a reduction of 2,021 cases.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a Twitter post said Selangor remained the state with the highest daily number at 2,477 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (616), Kelantan (612), Sarawak (513), Negeri Sembilan (468) and Johor. (433).

Kedah recorded 422 cases, Penang (248), Pahang (239), Terengganu (214), Perak (212), Melaka (202), Sabah (190), Labuan (133), Putrajaya (13) and Perlis (seven).

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham in media conference in Putrajaya today said 79 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 2,729 cases.

He said Selangor recorded the highest fatalities with 15 cases followed by Kedah (13), Johor (12), Penang (five), Terengganu and Melaka (four each), Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak (three cases each), Sabah (two) as well as Labuan, Perak and Pahang (one case each).

There were 5,121 recovery cases reported during the same period, taking the cumulative total for recoveries to 484,787 cases while there are currently 78,017 active cases.

According to Dr Noor Hisham, 846 cases were being treated at Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with 419 cases needing respiratory assistance.

He added that there were 17 new clusters detected involving seven community clusters, six workplace clusters, two religious clusters as well as one higher education cluster and one high-risk group cluster.

The community clusters involved clusters in Jalan Veterinari (Penang), Kampung Tanjong Chenok (Kelantan), Taman Wahyu (Kelantan), Jalan Sri Putri 11 (Johor), Gerigat (Sarawak), Sungai Parik (Sarawak) and Sungai Ular (Terengganu).

The workplace clusters are at Jalan Kasuarina (Selangor), Balakong Batu Dua Belas (Selangor), Perindustrian Batu Caves (Kuala Lumpur), Taman Industri Pelabuhan (Perak), Lorong Jelawat Dua (Penang) and Industri Dioh (Negeri Sembilan).

The two religious clusters involved Kampung Pagi cluster (Pahang) and Jalan Laksamana Tiga cluster (Johor).

Meanwhile the higher education cluster involved Kolej Bunga Raya (Kuala Lumpur) and high-risk group cluster was detected at Desa Melawati (Kuala Lumpur).

In this regard, Dr Noor Hisham said the infectivity rate (Rt) is now at 1.16 and the total daily cases reported showed an exponential increase.

He said the total ICU beds at COVID-19 hospitals and COVID-19 Low-risk Quarantine and Treatment Centres is almost full and may not be able to receive more patients.

"This difficult situation is confronting us all and MOH wishes to call on all parties to work together to face the present situation now," he said.

-- BERNAMA