[UPDATED] Country sets grim record of 199 Covid-19 deaths

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia sees a further fall in daily Covid-19 cases with 11,985 infections today, from 12,366 yesterday. The nationwide caseload now stands at 951,884.

Of the total, Selangor claims 5,550 cases, followed by Kuala Lumpur (1,174), Kedah (800), Negri Sembilan (745), Johor (644) and Pahang (603).

States with fewer than 500 cases are Sabah (474), Melaka (453), Kelantan (386), Penang (362), Perak (274), Sarawak (261) and Terengganu (171).

Putrajaya, Labuan and Perlis recorded 51, 35 and two cases, respectively.

Of the cases today, 5,850 are in Category 1 with no symptoms, 5,847 in Category 2 and 178 in Category 3.

A total of 45 patients are in Category 4 and require oxygen, while 65 are in Category 5 and critical condition.

The Health Ministry reported a staggering 199 coronavirus deaths in an all-time high, pushing up the toll to 7,440.

Of the 927 patients in intensive care, 459 are on respiratory support.

Another 7,902 recoveries take the total to 806,857.

Of the deaths reported today, Selangor claims 84, Kuala Lumpur (57), Melaka (16) and Kedah (12).

Negri Sembilan registered seven deaths; Pahang and Johor have six each; Terengganu has three; Penang, Perak and Kelantan have two each; and, Sabah and Sarawak, one each.

The nation’s infectivity rate (R0) stands at 1.12.

Terengganu has the highest R0 with 1.31, followed by Sabah (1.25), Kedah (1.23), Penang (1.23), Johor (1.20), Putrajaya (1.19), Selangor (1.15), Pahang (1.14), Negri Sembilan (1.14), Perak (1.13), Melaka (1.12), Kelantan (1.10) and Kuala Lumpur (1.08).

The ministry reported 30 new clusters, with 17 involving worksites in Kedah, Perak, Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Sabah, totalling 466 cases.

Community clusters in Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor and Sarawak led to 154 cases, while two high-risk group clusters in Kuala Lumpur led to 34 cases.

In Pahang and Terengganu, religious group clusters recorded 38 cases, while a private Education Ministry-registered higher learning institution in Johor recorded 30 cases.

Covid-19 cases drop to 474 in Sabah

In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the number of new cases dropped to 474 in the state today, after registering more than 600 daily for four days.

He said only eight cases were reported in Tawau Prison.

“Kota Kinabalu recorded 128 cases, mostly from close contacts.”

Beaufort registered 76 cases, Penampang (45), Tawau (36), Keningau (24), Ranau (22), Tuaran (19), Sipitang (19) and Putatan (18).

Clusters have become a major contributor to Covid-19 cases in Sabah, as health authorities carry out targeted screening at 88 localities placed under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) statewide.

EMCO has been imposed on 23 localities in Kota Kinabalu, Tawau (9), Beaufort (8), Sipitang (8), Keningau (6), Penampang (6), Kota Belud (5), Sandakan (5), Kudat (4), Putatan (4), Papar (3), Pitas (3), Lahad Datu (2), Kota Marudu (1) and Tongod (1). – The Vibes, July 21, 2021