SEREMBAN, Aug 4 ― The use of intensive care unit (ICU) beds due to Covid-19, as well as daily cases, must decrease before Negri Sembilan can move to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan (PPN), said Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.

He said vaccination should be intensified in the state to reduce Covid-19 patients in category 4 (having pneumonia and requiring oxygen support) and category 5 (critical and possibly requiring assisted ventilation).

"Last week, the use of ICU beds was at 104 per cent ... if you look at it, there is a decrease compared to 154 per cent reported previously, but this situation has not yet allowed the state to move to the next phase. The number of daily Covid-19 infections is still high.

"I am confident that when many people have been vaccinated, the number of those who are positive for Covid-19 at categories 4 and 5 will decrease,” he said in an online press conference, after chairing the weekly state executive council meeting today.

The people in the state have been urged to be patient and adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, Aminuddin said that the state has achieved 74.36 per cent, equivalent to 605,619 individuals, having received the first dose, while 41.33 per cent (336,586) recipients have completed both doses.

Yesterday the state recorded 816 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the cumulative total of cases now to 73,978. ― Bernama