New COVID-19 cases drop 18.7 pct last week - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of new COVID-19 cases in the 51st epidemiological week (ME 51/2022), from Dec 18 to 24, recorded a drop of 18.7 per cent at 5,894 cases compared with 7,249 cases reported in the previous week (ME 50/2022).

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said during that period, the number of local cases cropped by 18.7 per cent, from 7,232 cases to 5,880 cases.

"The number of imported cases was also lower by 17.6 per cent, from 17 cases to 14 cases," he said in a statement regarding the current situation of the COVID-19 infection today.

Dr Noor Hisham said that in ME 51/2022, the number of death cases also showed a drop of 34 per cent at 31 cases compared with 47 cases reported in the previous week.

"The average number of active cases per day for ME 51/2022 also lower by 13.7 per cent, from 16,895 cases to 14,580 cases," he said, adding that the average infectivity rate (Rt value) was at 0.84.

Dr Noor Hisham said the number of recoveries also showed a drop with 7,791 cases in ME 51/2022 compared with 10,330 cases recorded in the previous week.

Regarding the flood disaster situation, he said in ME 51/2022, a total of six positive cases of COVID-19 were detected among flood evacuees.

"All of them are mild cases and patients continue to be isolated at home after the temporary evacuation centre (PPS) is closed," he said.

He added that a total of 3,212 cases of infectious diseases were detected among the flood evacuees housed at the PPS, including 1,749 cases of acute respiratory infection (ARI) and skin diseases (1,232), conjunctivitis (124), acute gastroenteritis (106) and chicken-pox (one).

"All reported cases are isolated cases and no infectious disease outbreaks have occurred at PPS," he said.

-- BERNAMA