KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 — New Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours soared to a new record of 1,755 today as Putrajaya announced an allocation of RM1 billion to fight the virus in Budget 2021.

This is the fourth day in a row that Malaysia’s cases have reached four digits.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement today said from the total of 1,755 cases, 1,199 cases were recorded in Sabah.

Two new deaths were also added today, bringing the total number of deaths from Covid-19 to 279.

Advertisement

 

Dr Noor Hisham said out of the 1,199 new cases in Sabah, 663 were detected from existing clusters, 12 from the new Mampulut cluster, 363 from close contact screenings, three from Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) and 170 from Covid-19 screenings done.

He said Penang recorded the second highest number of new daily Covid-19 cases today at 192, all of which were confirmed to be from already existing clusters.

Advertisement

“Selangor registered 164 new Covid-19 cases today, with 111 coming from already existing clusters, including four from the new Fores cluster, 28 from close contact screenings and 25 others from Covid-19 screenings done,” Dr Noor Hisham said. 

The remaining 200 new cases were reported in Labuan (59), Negri Sembilan (45), Kedah (19), Perak (18), Kuala Lumpur (17), Sarawak (17), nine in Putrajaya, eight in Terengganu, three in Johor and two in Melaka.

Dr Noor Hisham added that as of today, 78 Covid-19 patients are being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), with 28 of them needing ventilators.

Of the two deaths today, one was a local 67-year-old woman from Sabah who had a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma.

The second death was a local 54-year old man from Kedah who had a history of high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and stroke.

During today’s tabling of Budget 2021, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said that a total of RM1 billion will be allocated to curb the spread of Covid-19 next year.

He said the allocation would include RM475 million for the purchase of reagents, screening kits and consumables, specifically for the use of the Health Ministry.

The allocation will also include RM318 million for the provision of personal protection equipment (PPE) and hand sanitiser to MoH frontline personnel and RM150 million to the National Disaster Management Agency to coordinate efforts to combat Covid-19, he said when presenting Budget 2021 in Parliament today.