.jpg "A healthcare worker collects swab samples to test for Covid-19 at Dewan Desa Temuan in Kota Damansara January 29, 2021. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Ahmad Zamzahurinn")
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Malaysia recorded 31,199 more new Covid-19 positive cases in just the last 24 hours, breaking the previous record set since the start of the pandemic.
This brings the cumulative infections to 3,305,157 from the time Covid-19 arrived in the country in 2020, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement today.
Of the 31,199 new cases reported, 99.38 per cent or 31,005 comprised patients under Categories 1 and 2 while the remaining 0.62 per cent or 194 cases were of Category 3 and above.
“Of the 194 reported, 153 cases or 78.87 per cent are unvaccinated, have incomplete vaccinations or unboosted,” he said.
Those who recovered stood at 20,399, bringing the cumulative recovered cases to 2,994,840.
Covid-19 fatalities reported yesterday showed a total of 55 deaths, with 23 brought-in-dead.
This was the highest number since December 21, when 57 new deaths were reported.
As of today, a total 32,488 people have died of the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
The number of active cases stands at a staggering 277,829.
Infections by state
Selangor recorded the highest number of infections at 7,775 cases, followed by Sabah at 3,970, Kedah at 2,670 and Penang at 2,575.
Other states above the 2,000 case range are Johor at 2,269, Kuala Lumpur at 2,157 and Kelantan at 2,130
Putrajaya recorded the lowest number of cases at 189.
Hospitalisation
Dr Noor Hisham also disclosed that 305 cases required intensive care units admission, of which 187 are suspected, probable or under investigation for Covid-19.
“Out of these 305, 191 need ventilators to help them breathe, including 72 who are confirmed as Covid-19 positive,” he said.
In his statement, Dr Noor Hisham said four states are currently using more than 50 per cent of their ICU bed capacity.
The four states are Kelantan (83 per cent), Kuala Lumpur and Johor (65 per cent), and Melaka (58 per cent) and Perlis (55 per cent).
There are also 12 states with over 50 per cent of non-ICU beds used for Covid-19 patients with Kelantan the highest at 101 per cent, followed by Selangor at 97 per cent, Perak at 90 per cent, Kuala Lumpur at 87 per cent and Perlis at 81 per cent for the top five.
The nationwide Covid-19 infectivity rate — denoted as R-naught, R0 or the effective rate of Rt — is at 1.13.
Two federal territories and 11 states are currently above the national rate with Labuan the highest at 1.44.
This is followed by Sarawak at 1.31, Terengganu, Perak and Negri Sembilan at 1.28, Perlis and Penang at 1.26, Pahang at 1.24, Selangor at 1.22, Kelantan at 1.21, Sabah at 1.20, Kedah and KL at 1.19.
Only Melaka, Johor and Putrajaya recorded a lower R0 value than the national average at 1.12, 1.11 and 1.09 respectively.
