KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia logged 14,345 new Covid-19 cases today, with 43 imported cases, taking the cumulative total to 2,112,175.
Out of the new cases reported today, 212 or 1.5% are in categories 3,4 and 5 while the majority of 14,133 or 98.5% belong in the less severe categories 1 and 2.
Sarawak was the only state to record more than 2,000 infections, with 3,611 cases.
This was followed by Johor with 1,598 cases, Selangor (1,365), Sabah (1,255), Penang (1,170), Perak (1,090) and Kelantan (1,050).
The states and Federal Territories that saw less than 1,000 cases are Kedah with 967, followed by Terengganu (804), Pahang (779), Kuala Lumpur (307), Melaka (162), Negri Sembilan (125), Perlis (51) and Putrajaya (11).
Labuan recorded no new cases.
Meanwhile, non-intensive care bed occupancy stands at 66% while 74% of ICU beds across the nation are occupied.
There were 636 cases that required breathing assistance.
Malaysia also found 23 new clusters, leading to a cumulative total of 5,305 clusters, where 1,335 are active ones.
The nation also reported 16,814 recovered cases, with a cumulative total of 1,880,736 or 89% of total cases.
Sarawak asks for booster shot priority
Meanwhile, Sarawak is asking the federal government to prioritise the state for Covid-19 booster jabs, or the third dose, to help contain the daily increase in new infections and deaths.
State Disaster Management Committee adviser Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said the state has asked the Health Ministry for permission to start giving additional jabs next month.
“We aim to initiate booster jabs and give the third dose in October. The doses for adolescents and young teenagers aged 12 to 15 have arrived in Kuching,” he said on social media today.
Today, the state recorded 3,619 new infections plus eight more confirmed deaths.
Kuching recorded 1,021 new cases followed by Serian with 315, Bintulu 302, Sibu 228, Miri 200, Samarahan 199, Sri Aman 198, Betong 137, Sarikei 102 with the rest of the districts recording below 100 each.
The eight deaths bring the coronavirus death toll to 697.
The death involved a man in Bintulu aged 97, two men aged 39 and 83 in Sri Aman, a man from Sarikei aged 68, a woman from Miri aged 58, two men and a woman in Kuching aged 79, 89 and 65 respectively. – The Vibes, September 20, 2021
Additional reporting by Stephen Then