Covid-19: Only 53 out 3,543 cases detected Thursday (Jan 6) need medical treatment, says Health DG

PETALING JAYA: Only 1.5% of the more than 3,500 individuals detected with Covid-19 on Thursday (Jan 6) require medical treatment, says Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

"Only 53 cases out of the 3,543 new cases reported as of Thursday noon are under categories 3, 4 and 5.

"A total of 3,490 cases or 98.5% are those under category 1 and 2," the Health director-general said in a statement.

Those under category 1 and 2 are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms while those under category 3, 4, and 5 are deemed severely or critically ill.

Of the new cases, he said 364 cases were imported cases detected among 322 locals and 42 foreigners, while 3,179 cases were detected locally involving 3,047 locals and 132 foreigners.

He said that seven new clusters were detected on Thursday (Jan 6), with 190 clusters still active.

Overall, he said that 2,776,699 cases have been detected since the pandemic, with 2,705,292 patients having recovered.

At present, he said that 253 patients, of whom 203 tested positive with 50 others still under investigations, require treatment in intensive care units.

He added that 130 cases, of whom 86 tested positive and 44 others still under investigation, require breathing assistance.

On the flood situation, Dr Noor Hisham said that 98 temporary flood relocation centres were still operating in Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, housing 5,886 flood victims, with no new Covid-19 cases or clusters detected among evacuees on Thursday (Jan 6).

So far, he said that 465 flood victims had tested positive, with only one cluster detected.

He added that 33 flood victims were also found to have (other) communicable diseases.