Malaysia ushers in 2021 with 2,068 new Covid-19 cases, three deaths

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Covid-19 infections continued to stay high on the first day of the new year, lifting Malaysia’s overall cases to 115,078 since the pandemic began last year.

Today’s daily new cases reached 2,068, with Selangor maintaining pole position with 776 cases, a slight dip compared to 1,205 yesterday.

Over half of the state’s new cases today, or 425 came from existing clusters and regular screenings, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement.

Active cases nationwide stand at 23,433.

“Kuala Lumpur (457 cases) and Sabah (254) followed suit while 18 per cent of cases were reported from within the lockups, prisons and immigration detention centres.

“The Jalan Harapan prison cluster had 13 cases, Tembok Gajah four cases and the Pagar Siput cluster had one case today,” Dr Noor Hisham said in the statement.

“Apart from that there are 126 individuals in the intensive care unit with 54 of them in need of the ventilator,” he added.

Dr Noor Hisham also announced three new deaths from Covid-19 today, bringing the total number of fatalities to 474 to date.

He added that 2,230 patients recovered today, bringing the total number of recoveries to 91,171 cases.

Death number 472 was a Malaysian male aged 69 who died at Tuanku Jaáfar Hospital in Seremban. He had a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic kidneys and dyslipidaemia.

Death number 473 was a 94-year-old Malaysian male who died at Sungai Buloh Hospital. He had diabetes, high blood pressure and bronchiectasis.

Death number 474 was a female aged 58 who also died at the same hospital. She had a history of diabetes, high blood pressure as well as heart and kidney issues.

Apart from that, three new clusters were reported today bringing the total number of active clusters to 224.

The Rawa Akasia cluster involving the districts of Timur Laut, Barat Daya, Seberang Perai Tengah and Seberang Perai Selatan in Penang had 322 individuals screened with 117 returning positive. Its index case was found positive on December 24.

The Jalan Perindustrian cluster involving the districts of Kulai in Johor saw 95 individuals screened with 20 emerging positive. The index case was found positive on December 28 from a workplace screening.

The final cluster, the Rantau Semarak cluster, involves the districts of Maran in Pahang and Gombak in Selangor. The index case was found positive on December 28 from screenings due to close contact with an infectious individual.

Until today, 69 individuals have been screened with 18 of them returning positive for Covid-19.

Yesterday, Malaysia recorded its highest ever daily total at 2,525 cases. In turn, today the government announced that it will be extending the recovery movement control order (RMCO) nationwide until March 31.

In the Klang Valley and Sabah, the conditional movement control order (CMCO) is currently ongoing until January 14.