The Health Ministry reported a record high of 851 Covid-19 patients in intensive care today as active cases inch closer to the 80,000 mark, said its director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

With Malaysia reporting 6,824 new cases against 5,251 recoveries, active cases stand at 79,523, just 477 shy of the 80,000 mark.

The number of patients in intensive care units (ICU) today saw an increase by five patients from yesterday’s figure of 846.

Patients requiring respiratory support also increased by three, to 422 today.

Besides this, Noor Hisham said 67 fatalities were recorded today, taking the toll to 2,796.

The number of deaths today is the third highest since the onset of the pandemic.

Record deaths were reported on May 29, where 98 people succumbed to the illness.

Three foreigners were among those reported dead today.

Two states reported deaths in double figures with Selangor recording 15 deaths and Johor with 12 deaths.

Other states that reported deaths were Sarawak (eight), Kedah (six), Negri Sembilan and Kelantan (five each), Pahang (four), Penang, Labuan and Malacca (three each), Sabah (two) and Kuala Lumpur (one).

According to Noor Hisham, eight victims were brought in dead (BID) to the hospitals.

Labuan was the only state to record two BID victims, while Selangor, Kelantan, Sarawak, Penang, Malacca and Johor had one BID case each.

The oldest victim reported today, aged 99, was one of those brought in dead.

The youngest victim to succumb to the disease today was aged 15, who had leukaemia as an underlying medical condition. – May 31, 2021.