KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 15): A total of 20,546 new cases of Covid-19 were reported nationwide over the past 24 hours, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

These brought the cumulative figure for positive cases to 1,404,899, he said in his tweet.

Selangor still recorded the highest daily tally at 7,307, followed by Sabah (1,665), Kedah (1,596), Johor (1,508), Kuala Lumpur (1,442), Penang (1,111), Perak (1,069), and Kelantan (1,025).

Sarawak recorded 963 cases, Pahang (926), Negeri Sembilan (698), Melaka (631), Terengganu (534), Putrajaya (47), Perlis (21), and Labuan (three).

In a statement, Dr Noor Hisham said that of the 20,546 new cases today, 373 of them or 1.8% were in Categories Three, Four, and Five while the remaining 20,173 cases (98.2%), were Categories One and Two patients.

Overall, he said 17,802 cases or 86.64% of the total cases reported today had no history or incomplete Covid-19 immunisation.

A total of 16,945 recovered cases were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative figure for recoveries in the country to 1,145,128 while active cases stood at 247,261.

Dr Noor HIsham said 282 fatalities were recorded today, with Selangor registering 108 deaths, Kuala Lumpur (45), Johor (44), Penang (24), Kedah (15), Perak (13), Sabah (nine), six cases each in Sarawak and Melaka, Negeri Sembilan (five), Pahang (four), and Kelantan (three).

"The fatalities involved 214 citizens and 68 foreigners," he said, adding that 101 people were brought in dead.

Dr Noor Hisham said 1,059 patients are currently being treated in intensive care units with 526 of them needing respiratory support.

Meanwhile, he said 29 new clusters were detected, of which 17 were workplace clusters, community clusters (10) as well as two high-risk group clusters.

He added that the Covid-19 infectivity rate or R-naught (Rt) in Malaysia yesterday was 1.05, with Perlis registering the highest among states and federal territories at 1.47, followed by Kelantan (1.20) as well as Sabah and Penang (1.17).