MALAYSIA today recorded 1,772 new Covid-19 cases, raising the number of cumulative cases to 86,618 and closer to total cases in China, the epicentre of the coronavirus with a population 40 times larger.

Current cumulative cases in China are 86,758, just 140 cases more from Malaysia’s latest figure.

The bulk of today’s new infections were from Kuala Lumpur, dominated by the Damanlela construction cluster, followed by Selangor and Sabah.

Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Damanlela construction cluster contributed 567 cases out of KL’s 696 cases.

“The second highest number of cases by state is Selangor with 503 cases, followed by Sabah at 260 cases,” he said in a statement today.

There were also three deaths in Malaysia, raising the total number of fatalities to 422.

The deaths were all in Sabah, of victims aged 45, 75 and 88, each with underlying chronic diseases. 

There were 1,084 recoveries, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 71,681. 

Of the other new cases, Noor Hisham said 120 were from prison clusters involving the Tembok cluster (99), Jalan Harapan Prison (15), and Bakti (6).

Of the 14,515 active cases, 118 are warded in the intensive care unit, of which 56 cases require respiratory assistance.

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang earlier today said Malaysia should expect to be on par or overtake China soon in the total number of Covid-19 infections, as Malaysia has been reporting more than 1,000 daily since late November on most days. He said the high number of cases showed the government’s failure to take a “whole of society” and “all of government” approach in dealing with the pandemic. – December 15, 2020.