[UPDATED] Malaysia sees all-time high of 27,831 new Covid-19 cases today

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia has recorded a new all-time high in daily Covid-19 caseloads with 27,831 infections today, bringing the cumulative total to 3,111,514. 

The nation’s previous record was on August 26 last year, when 24,599 infections were reported. 

According to Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, 97 (0.35%) of the cases today are in the more severe categories – Category 3 (59 cases or 0.21%), Category 4 (28 cases or 0.10%) and 10 infections in Category 5. 

A total of 7,606 (27.33%) cases are in Category 1 while 20,128 (72.32%) are in Category 2, making up 27,734 (99.65%) of the cases today.

Dr Noor Hisham said that among the 97 cases in the severe categories, 24 (24.7%) patients are unvaccinated, while 51 (52.8%) are fully vaccinated but have not received a booster dose.

“39 (40.2%) patients were above the age of 60, 31 (63.3%) were individuals with comorbidities, and six (6.2%) have died,” he added.

Five of the cases involved pregnant women. 

“As of 5pm today, 1,269 Covid-19 patients have been hospitalised, with 841 (66.3%) coming from Category 1 and Category 2 while 428 (33.7%) are from Category 3, Category 4 and Category 5. 

“Although newly diagnosed patients are primarily from the lower categories, there are patients whose conditions deteriorate and they are forced into higher categories with the need for hospitalisation,” he said. 

He added that the average length of hospitalisation for Covid-19 patients is eight days. 

On the bright side, Dr Noor Hisham said that the nation recorded 7,912 recoveries today, bringing the total recovered cases in the country since the beginning of the pandemic to 2,876,450. 

“Among the cases reported today, 204 are receiving treatment in intensive care units while 116 of them require respiratory assistance,” he said.

The nation has seen a total of 6,657 clusters since the beginning of the pandemic, including 28 new clusters detected today.

The number of clusters that have ended is at 6,190 while 467 clusters remain active.

The national Covid-19 infectivity rate (Rt) continues to decrease as today’s rate of 1.33 is lower than yesterday’s rate of 1.38.

The statement noted, however, that Labuan’s recorded rate jumped up to 2.08 from yesterday’s rate of 1.94. – The Vibes, February 16, 2022