KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 8): A total of 19,733 new Covid-19 infections were reported in Malaysia today, up 6.4% from 18,547 yesterday. The latest cases were detected from 158,501 people tested nationwide in the past 24 hours, representing a positivity rate of 12.45%.
However, active cases (those that carry high transmission risks) dropped for the eighth consecutive day to 248,673 — down 6.3% from the 265,274 recorded on Sept 1 — as daily Covid-19 recoveries of 22,701 exceeded fresh infections. Total recoveries now stood at 1.63 million, or 85.8% of the 1.9 million cumulative infections detected.
Sarawak remained the state with the most daily cases at 3,100, while Selangor recorded 2,989 cases and Penang had 2,474 cases, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement.
These were followed by Sabah (2,067); Johor (1,867); Kedah (1,564); Kelantan (1,471); Perak (1,319); Terengganu (904); Pahang (700); Kuala Lumpur (537); Melaka (375); Negeri Sembilan (256); Perlis (74); Putrajaya (29) and Labuan (seven).
The ministry also recorded 361 Covid-19-related fatalities — including 102 brought-in dead cases — raising the country's coronavirus death toll to 19,163. This is the third highest daily death figure reported, after 391 on Aug 26 and 362 on Sept 4.
The fatalities came from Selangor (67), Johor (65), Sabah (54), Kedah (51), Kuala Lumpur (34), Negeri Sembilan (29), Kelantan (17), Sarawak (10), Terengganu (nine), Melaka (eight), Perak (six), Penang (five), Pahang (four) and Perlis (two).
There are now 904 patients under intensive care, of whom 430 require breathing assistance.
492 serious cases reported, 77.2% unvaccinated or partially vaccinated
A total of 19,304 or 97.8% of new cases reported today have had no symptoms (Category 1 patients) or only mild symptoms (Category 2). Of these, 8,203 or 42.5% were unvaccinated, 6,821 patients or 35.3% were fully vaccinated while 4,280 patients (22.2%) were partially vaccinated.
The remaining 429 cases were in Category 3 (patients with pneumonia), Category 4 (patients with pneumonia requiring oxygen therapy) and Category 5 (critical patients requiring assisted ventilation). Of the patients in these categories, the unvaccinated (224) and partially vaccinated (107) made up 77.2%, while 22.8% (98) were fully vaccinated.
35 clusters detected with 1,308 total infections
The ministry also detected the emergence of 35 new clusters today, with 1,308 total infections among them.
The 35 clusters included 20 workplace clusters, 11 community clusters, two high risk group clusters and two education clusters.
To date, the country has reported 4,995 Covid-19 clusters. Of these, 3,536 have since been deemed to have ended, leaving 1,459 active clusters.