Covid-19: Country nears 6,000 total deaths

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s Covid-19 death toll almost reached 6,000, after 77 more people died due to the coronavirus in the span of 24 hours.

In his daily Covid-19 statement, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic) said Selangor has the most number of deaths with 28 fatalities reported in the state.

Kuala Lumpur is the second highest with 17 fatalities reported.

Other states with Covid-19 deaths are Melaka (nine), Johor (five), Negri Sembilan (five), Pahang (four), Sarawak (three), Perak (two), Terengganu (two), Kedah (one) and Labuan (one).

Three of the casualties are foreign citizens while the rest are Malaysians.

Seven fatalities have been classified as “brought-in-dead” cases.

Since the pandemic began, a total of 5,980 people have succumbed to Covid-19 in the country.

On Friday (July 9), Malaysia’s case figures reached a new high with 9,180 infections reported.

Selangor reported 4,400 cases - also a new daily record - while Kuala Lumpur logged 1,271 fresh infections.

Dr Noor Hisham said the rise in infections in the two states is expected, following the increased targeted screening exercises conducted at areas under the enhanced movement control order.

This is added with the screenings at factories, he said.

“We also find a lot more individuals in the Klang Valley who have voluntarily undergone Covid-19 testing at private clinics, and these are people who have symptoms or are close contacts of patients, ” he said.

Of Selangor’s 4,400 cases, 2,766 are those uncovered from close contact tracing.

Another 1,353 cases in the state are sporadic and unlinked, while only 280 are related to clusters.