MALAYSIA reported a record 643 Covid-19 admissions into the intensive care unit (ICU) in a single day and 50 deaths from the virus in the past 24 hours, said director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.  

This is an additional 56 cases in the critical ward compared with yesterday’s tally, where there were 587 admissions.  

Noor Hisham said there was also an increase in patients requiring respiratory support, where 363 people are on ventilators, an addition of 33 cases from yesterday. 

As for the number of fatalities today, he said this would be the second highest in a single day since the onset of the pandemic. 

Yesterday, Malaysia reported a record 59 fatalities.

The death toll now stands at 2,149.  

Of the 50 fatalities reported today, 22 were recorded in Selangor, the highest in the state to date, topping the previous high of 20 deaths on May 17. 

The deaths in the state includes a sole foreigner, aged 55, who succumbed to the illness in Kajang Hospital.  

Besides this, eight deaths were reported in Sarawak, five in Johor, four in Kedah, three in Kuala Lumpur, two each in Negri Sembilan, Perak and Malacca, and one each in Penang and Kelantan.  

The oldest victim reported today was aged 90, while the youngest was 33.  

A total of 47 victims had underlying medical conditions. – May 21, 2021.