Health DG: At 3,074, new Covid-19 cases outnumber recoveries for third day running

PETALING JAYA: New Covid-19 cases outnumbered recoveries again on Saturday (Jan 15), says the Health Ministry.

This is the third consecutive day where there were more new cases compared to recoveries.

According to Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in the ministry’s daily Covid-19 and flood update, there were 3,074 new Covid-19 cases recorded and 2,828 recoveries across the country.

Malaysia’s cumulative Covid-19 case number now stood at 2,805,337.

However, there were also a total of 2,732,771 recoveries to date.

There were 193 cases requiring treatment in intensive care units (ICU). They comprised 158 Covid-19 cases, while the remaining 35 cases were suspected, probable or still under investigation. Ninety cases require ventilator support.

Dr Noor Hisham said that of the 3,074 new daily cases, 30 cases (1%) were from categories 3, 4 and 5, while 3,044 cases (99%) were from categories 1 and 2.

Category 1 means a patient was asymptomatic. Category 2 was for those with mild symptoms. Category 3 cases experienced pneumonia while cases in Category 4 had pneumonia and required oxygen. Category 5 patients were in a critical stage requiring ventilator support.

Of the new cases, 319 were imported cases, while 2,755 were local infections.

The total number of active clusters was now 176. There were ten new clusters.

The latest data by the Health Ministry also showed that the Covid-19 infectivity rate or R-naught (Rt) in Malaysia was 1.0, with Kuala Lumpur registering the highest at 1.08, followed by Putrajaya (1.06), and Sabah (1.05). Sarawak, Perlis, and Labuan’s recorded Rt was lowest at 0.0.

Regarding the flood situation, the ministry stated that there are currently three temporary evacuation centres (PPS) in operation, all of which are in Johor.

In total, there were 471 Covid-19 cases among flood victims, although no new cases were reported on Saturday.