KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 30 — One more Malaysian succumbed to the Covid-19 coronavirus in the country even as the Health Ministry recorded 17 new cases today.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest fatality was a 75-year-old man with no travel history outside the country.

He also said of the 17 new cases, 15 were imported and two were locally transmitted.

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On Malaysia’s 126th Covid-19 fatality, Dr Noor Hisham said the deceased suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, lung disease and health problems.

“The man began to exhibit symptoms of cough and shortness of breath on August 7, before he was admitted to Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Kedah for pneumonia.

“After subsequently being discharged from hospital on August 18, the symptoms returned on August 21 and he sought treatment on August 24 at the same hospital where he tested positive for Covid-19 after being screened,” Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement.

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The man’s condition deteriorated further and he was pronounced dead on August 29.

Dr Noor Hisham said the import cases comprised 11 Malaysians and four non-Malaysians.

The breakdown is as follows, 12 from India, two from Saudi Arabia and one from Japan.

Ten patients recovered today, bringing the total number of recoveries to 9,048 cases, or 96.9 per cent of the Covid-19 cases overall.

“At present, seven cases are still being treated in Intensive Care Units (ICU), with five requiring ventilators,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

Malaysia’s cumulative total positive cases now stands at 9,334 and a total of 126 people have died of Covid-19 here to date.