COVID: Daily cases dropped to below 30,000, Infectivity rate below 1.0 - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of new daily COVID-19 cases recorded yesterday dropped to 26,250, from 32,800 the previous day (March 11), said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said of the total cases recorded yesterday, 26,073 cases or 99.33 per cent were in category one and two.

A total of 177 cases or 0.67 percent are in category three, four and five, he said in a statement on the development of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

On the country's infectivity rate (Rt), he said, it was 0.99, compared to 1.03 on Friday.

On the use of COVID-19 bed for critical cases or at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Health Ministry's (MOH) hospital, Dr Noor Hisham said, said six states recorded more than 50 per cent usage yesterday.

They are Putrajaya at 167 per cent, Kelantan (69 per cent), Johor (68 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (65 per cent), Selangor (58 per cent) and Perak (53 per cent), he added.

He said the number of COVID-19 patients who required respiratorty assistance had decreased to 211 patient, from 231 patients on March 11, while the percentage of ventilator usage yesterday was 24 per cent compared to 26 per cent on March 11.

On the COVID-19 infection among senior citizens, Dr Noor Hisham said there were 367,522 cases involving the group recorded from March 19, 2020 to March 9, 2022, which is 9.9 per cent of the total 3,711,199 positive cases recorded in the country during the period.

He said between Jan 25, 2020 and March 3 this year, a total of 154 clusters of COVID-19 infection were reported at care centres for senior citizens.

"This cluster (at care centres for senior citizens) is the highest contributor compared to the clusters of other risk groups, such as child care centres and dialysis centers," he added.

Dr Noor Hisham said the death rate due to COVID-19 among the elderly was higher compared with other age groups.

The unvaccinated group of elderly people is the most at risk of being infected with COVID-19 and could result in death, he added.

As such, he advised senior citizens who had yet to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, either the primary dose or the booster dose, to walk-in to the nearest vaccination center (PPV) to get the injection.

"Get the booster dose. The vaccine does not make a person immune to COVID-19 infection, but it can protect against the effects of severe infection that can lead to death," he added.

-- BERNAMA