THE number of active Covid-19 cases in the country rose to a new high of 142,051 after the health ministry reported 13,034 new cases against 8,436 recoveries, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today. 

This will be the 27th consecutive day that Malaysia had reported more new cases than recoveries. 

The last time the country logged more recoveries than new cases was on June 25, with 6,775 recoveries to 5,812 new cases. 

The director-general of health also said that patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) increased by 11 from 927 to 938 today, while those requiring respiratory support remained unchanged at 459. 

Meanwhile, people who succumbed to the disease saw a decline today but the numbers stayed in three-digits at 134, taking the nation’s toll to 7,574.

Meanwhile, elaborating on the 13,034 new cases today, Noor Hisham said only 0.65% of the cases were Categories 4 and 5, while 93.35% of the cases reported were between Categories 1 and 3.

On the breakdown, he said that 7,179 cases were under Category 1 (asymptomatic), 5,646 cases under Category 2 (mild symptoms), 124 cases under Category 3 (pneumonia), 72 cases under Category 4 (pneumonia and require oxygen support) and 13 cases under Category 5 (those in critical condition and in need of respiratory assistance through ventilation).

On deaths today, Noor Hisham said 119 of them were locals, with 15 foreigners.

He also said that four states reported deaths in double-digits – Selangor with 39 deaths, Kuala Lumpur (32), Negri Sembilan (18) and Johor (15).

Other states to report deaths were Perak and Malacca (7 each), Pahang (5), Kedah (4), Penang, Terengganu and Labuan (2 each), and Sabah (1).

Noor Hisham also said a total of 22 cases were reported as dead on arrival cases today. Kuala Lumpur logged eight of such cases, Selangor (7), Johor, Malacca and Labuan (2 each) and Perak (1). – July 22, 2021.