KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Malaysia’s Covid-19 situation grew more dire today as the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced 1,043 Covid-19 patients being treated in intensive care units (ICU) nationwide.

The latest figure overtakes the record 1,023 ICU patients set just two days ago, on July 27.

Of today’s 1,043 ICU patients, the MoH said 531 need ventilators to breathe.

The ministry also recorded 174 deaths today, raising the total number of deaths from the deadly disease in the country to 8,725.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 70 of today’s deaths involved Covid-19 patients from Selangor, 20 from Kuala Lumpur, 17 each from Johor and Kedah, 10 from Melaka, nine each from Negri Sembilan and Penang, eight each from Sabah and Terengganu, three from Perak, two from Kelantan and one from Pahang.

He said that 157 of the deaths were Malaysians, while 17 were foreigners, adding that 140 of them have had prior history of severe medical conditions.

He also said that of the 174 deaths, 146 died in Covid-19 hospitals while the remaining 28 were brought in dead.