COVID: New cases in Malaysia hit record high of 17,786

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 -- New positive COVID-19 cases in Malaysia surged to an all-time high of 17,786 Saturday, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

In a post on his Facebook, he said this brings the cumulative cases for COVID-19 to 1,113,272 since the pandemic hit the country early last year.

The previous daily record high of 17,405 cases was registered on July 28.

Selangor again topped the daily case list today with 6,400 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (1,962), Kedah (1,389), Johor (1,144), Sabah (1,035) and Negeri Sembilan (929).

Terengganu had 883 cases, followed by Perak (775), Penang (713), Melaka (697), Pahang (653), Kelantan (580), Sarawak (485), Putrajaya (116), Perlis (16) and Labuan (nine). 

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham in a media statement informed that out of the 17,786 new cases, only 1.5 per cent (260 cases) were from categories three, four and five, while the rest comprised categories one and two.

He said this was based on the clinical condition of the cases when first diagnosed.

"Some of the cases remain in the same category throughout the period of infection, but the status of some may change as well, either to a lower category or to a higher category of infection," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 165 deaths were recorded today, with 52 in Selangor; Johor (30); Negeri Sembilan (23); Kedah (18); and nine deaths each in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.

Seven deaths were recorded in Penang, Melaka (four); three each in Perak, Terengganu and Sarawak; Pahang (two) and one case each in Kelantan and Perlis, he said, adding that 155 deaths involved citizens and 10 were foreigners.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said 11,718 cases had recovered, while 1,062 remained in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with 534 requiring respiratory aid.

He said 28 new clusters were detected yesterday, with 13 of them workplace related, 12 within the community and three related to other groups.

The COVID-19 infectivity or R-naught (Rt) rate in Malaysia yesterday was 1.12, he said, adding that Terengganu and Kelantan recorded the highest value of 1.29, followed by Sabah (1.25).

All other states recorded values above 1.0, except Negeri Sembilan, Labuan and Perlis.

-- BERNAMA