PUTRAJAYA, April 11 — Putrajaya reported 184 new positive Covid-19 cases today, ending its previous three-day streak when daily recoveries had exceeded new cases.
Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the total number of infections is now 4,530, with total active cases at 2,482.
Three new deaths were recorded.
Dr Noor Hisham said the Ministry of Health (MOH) had previously predicted that the country would see active cases fall to 2,033 on April 14, and the current trend indicates that the movement control order (MCO) may have succeeded.
“After the cumulative deaths, discharged patients are deducted from total cases, the number of active cases is 2,482,” he said at the daily briefing on the crisis.
“They have been isolated for treatment.”
The government announced an extension of the MCO yesterday even as the number of new infection cases were lower than the daily recovery rates, in a move it said is necessary to win the war against the pandemic.
Dr Noor Hisham said today the third phase of the order “is the most crucial” to break the chain of infection and has advised against loosening it.
This comes after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said selected industries would be allowed to resume operations although in stages.
“The MCO in its first and second phase had made it possible to reduce the rate of community infections,” the health DG said.
“Therefore, the MOH is appealing to the public to continue assisting the government in its efforts to break the chain of infection.”
Malaysia still has one of the lowest number of deaths from the virus. To date, there have been 73 deaths in total, a mortality rate of just 1.6 per cent.
The three deaths reported today all involved Malaysian nationals over 60 with a history of chronic diseases. They are cases #452, #537, and #2,399.
As for cases involving healthcare workers, 224 officials have been infected up until yesterday.
None of the transmissions were from Covid-19 patient handling at public facilities, Dr Noor Hisham stressed.
However, 41 cases were linked to 29 patients initially showing severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) but found to be Covid-19 positive later, and nine other patients whose status “were unknown” before receiving treatment.
“The ministry will always prioritise the safety of frontline health workers who are working diligently for the sake of national interest,” Dr Noor Hisham said.
