[UPDATED] Covid-19 cases rise to 22,642; 265 deaths recorded

KUALA LUMPUR – Coronavirus cases are steadily rising in Malaysia, with 22,642 infections today, bringing the caseload to 1,616,244 since the pandemic started.

Selangor is still in the lead with 6,325 infections, followed by Sabah (3,224), Kedah (2,279), Johor (1,832), Sarawak (1,667), Penang (1,427), Kelantan (1,424), Perak (1,390) and Kuala Lumpur (1,128).

States with fewer than 1,000 infections are Terengganu (744), Pahang (522), Melaka (342), Negri Sembilan (269), Perlis (44), Putrajaya (21) and Labuan (4).

The Health Ministry reported another 265 Covid-19 fatalities, driving up the toll to 14,818.

Selangor registered 105 deaths, followed by Johor (39), Sabah (23), Kedah (19), Penang and Kuala Lumpur (18 each), Negri Sembilan (12), Perak (9), Sarawak (6), Pahang and Kelantan (5 each), Melaka (4) and Terengganu (2).

Of the deaths, 69 are brought-in-dead cases, comprising 51 locals and 18 non-citizens.

Total recoveries stand at 1,337,134 with the 20,798 logged today.

There are 1,003 patients in intensive care, of whom 490 require respiratory assistance.

Of the 22,642 infections, only 70 are in Category 4 (81.4% yet to complete vaccination) and need oxygen, and 175 are in Category 5 (85.7% 81.4% yet to complete vaccination).

Categories 1, 2 and 3 make up the rest with 10,501, 11,663 and 233 cases, respectively.

Malaysia recorded a total of 4,548 clusters since the pandemic started, including 42 new ones today. As many as 3,090 have ended, while 1,458 remain active.

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the new clusters, 23 are related to workplaces, 13 from the community, five from high-risk groups and one from a detention centre.

The cluster with the highest number of cases is the Persiaran Tecoma 2 workplace cluster in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, with 94 infections, while the one with the least amount of cases is the Jalan Rejab community cluster in Kota Tinggi, Johor, with five infections.

Meanwhile, Sarawak reported 1,667 new Covid-19 cases and five deaths.

The state Disaster Management Committee said four of the deaths happened in Kuching, while the fifth, in Sibu.

Of the fresh infections, Kuching claimed 620, followed by Samarahan (151), Bau (139), Sibu (125) and Lundu (118), while other districts have fewer than 100 each.

There was also a new outbreak linked to Cluster Opar in Bau, where 66 villagers contracted the virus during a gathering. – The Vibes, August 25, 2021