MALAYSIA logged 26,701 new Covid-19 infections yesterday, the second highest figure this year, the Health Ministry said.

Wednesday saw the year’s record cases at 27,831.

The fresh infections took the active caseload to 217,782.

According to the CovidNow portal, 39 virus deaths were reported yesterday, 17 of which were dead on arrival.

The Health Ministry’s GitHub database showed that Selangor logged the highest number of cases with 5,858 infections, followed by Sabah (4,749) and Kedah (3,243).

Johor reported 2,856 infections, followed by Kelantan (1,783), Malacca (720), Negri Sembilan (739), Pahang (1,096), Perak (486), Perlis (285), Penang (1,999), Sarawak (278), Terengganu (515), Kuala Lumpur (1,419), Labuan (447), and Putrajaya (183).

Selangor also reported the highest number of fatalities yesterday with 16 deaths, while Sabah followed closely with 14 fatalities.

Other states that reported deaths were Kelantan, Pahang and Perak, which logged two deaths each, and Kedah, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur, all reporting one death each.

Nationwide, the infectivity rate stood at 1.27 as of yesterday, with all states also reporting an infectivity rate of above 1.0.

Labuan has the highest infectivity rate at 1.99.

Daily Covid-19 admissions stood at 2,148, with 216 patients in intensive care, 141 of whom require respiratory aid.

Hospital bed utilisation stood at 68%, of which 62.1% were for Covid-19 patients. – February 18, 2022.