KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — The number of Covid-19 cases detected in Malaysia today rose to three (two local and one imported), after just a single case was registered yesterday.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, through a statement today, said that on the positive side, 62 more patients recovered over the last 24 hours, as the number of active cases dipped below 100 with 85 cases.

No cases of local transmission among Malaysians were recorded today.

The addition of the three new positive cases brings the tally of local infections to 8,643, with 97.6 per cent of those, or 8,437 patients, already recovered and discharged.

No new deaths were registered for the 18th straight day, as the local mortality rate remained at 1.4 per cent with 121 deaths, the statement added.

Only two patients remain in the Intensive Care Unit, as Dr Noor Hisham revealed that both still require breathing assistance.

Dr Noor Hisham detailed the three new cases, explaining that one was a Malaysian who returned from abroad, while the remaining two were foreigners detected as part of the Bukit Bintang cluster.

"We would like to announce that these new positive cases were detected as a result of repeat screenings during the period they were held in quarantine centres.

"They are still being isolated at these quarantine centres, while the Covid-19 positive cases have been hospitalised; therefore, there is no risk of transmission to the community,” he said in the statement.

The three new cases bring the tally of positive cases detected within the Bukit Bintang cluster to 11, with two recoveries and nine active cases.