Record 153 deaths, new infections drop to 10,710

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia yesterday recorded its highest number of Covid-19 daily fatalities with 153 deaths.

This is the seventh consecutive day the country recorded more than 100 fatalities.

Covid-19 claimed 138 lives on Saturday and 115 on Friday.

On Thursday, there were 110 deaths, with 118 on Wednesday, 125 on Tuesday and 102 on Monday.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 82 deaths were recorded in Selangor while Kuala Lumpur logged 17.

Negri Sembilan recorded 14 deaths, followed by Johor (10), Kedah (eight), Pahang (six), Melaka (five), Sabah, Penang and Putrajaya (two each).

Terengganu, Sarawak, Kelantan, Perak, and Labuan each recorded one death.

He said 909 patients were undergoing treatment in intensive care units (ICUs), where 445 were on ventilator support.

New cases dropped to 10,710 yesterday, bringing the cumulative figure to 916,561, 124,593 of which are active cases.

Dr Noor Hisham said of the new cases, 12 were imported.

He said 97.9 per cent, or 10,479 new cases, were in categories one and two.

“A total of 6,317 are asymptomatic cases, and 4,162 have mild symptoms. Ninety-one cases are under category three. Forty-five of them need oxygen support, which is under category four. Ninety-five cases require ventilator support.”

He said that although only 2.1 per cent were in categories three, four and five, these groups required long-term treatment at wards and ICUs.

“This will add to the limited bed capacity that we have and burden the healthcare system, particularly in ICUs, hospitals and low-risk quarantine and treatment centres.

“We need to take care of ourselves, our families and communities to ensure that all are protected from Covid-19.

“Register and get vaccinated to protect ourselves, and protect all.”

He said yesterday’s positivity rate was 8.68 per cent as 123,386 samples were tested.

This is the lowest rate recorded in the past seven days.

On July 12, the positivity rate was 9.56 per cent. July 13 had a positivity rate of 9.48 per cent, while July 14, 15, 16 and 17 logged rates of 8.89, 9.82, 8.96 and 9.5 per cent, respectively.

Selangor remained the state with the highest number of daily cases with 4,828, followed by Kuala Lumpur (945) and Johor (808).

Other states with three-digit new infections were Negri Sembilan (771), Kedah (696), Sabah (666), Perak (407), Pahang (369), Penang (295), Melaka (289), Sarawak (261), Kelantan (146) and Terengganu (123).

Putrajaya recorded 51 cases, while Labuan and Perlis logged 50 and five, respectively.

A total of 5,778 recoveries were reported, bringing the cumulative figure to 784,949 or 85.6 per cent.

He said Malaysia’s Rnaught (Rt) infectivity rate stood at 1.18.

“Terengganu is the state with the highest Rt rate at 1.31. States with Rt rates above 1.0 are Putrajaya (1.26), Kedah (1.25), Negri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur (1.19), Penang (1.18), Selangor, Melaka, Perak and Sabah (1.15), Kelantan (1.13), Pahang (1.11) and Johor (1.10).”

He said 17 new clusters were identified yesterday, including 10 workplace clusters, five community clusters, one detention centre cluster and one high-risk group cluster.

The 10 workplace clusters comprised three in Selangor (Industri Desa Aman, Industri Jalan Klinik and Persiaran Pekeliling Bangi), two in Sabah (Agathis and Sri Sandau), Kuala Lumpur (Jalan Segambut Duta), Melaka (Industri Jalan Usaha 12), Kedah (Dah Padang Temusu), Johor (Batu Enam Pandan) and Kelantan (Lorong MIEL Lundang).

Three community clusters were identified in Johor (Jalan Bacang 30, Jalan Tasek Seri Alam and Jalan Denai Utama), Kedah (Dah Kampung Kerchut) and Pahang (Pos Iskandar).

The sole detention centre cluster was Tembok Tawau Dua in Tawau, Sabah, and the high-risk group cluster was Batu Tiga Utara in Sandakan, Sabah.

We need to take care of ourselves, our families and communities to ensure that all are protected from Covid-19... TAN SRI DR NOOR HISHAM ABDULLAH Health director-general