THE country’s active Covid-19 caseload inched closer to the 200,000 mark today as a record high of 195,273 people are ill with the coronavirus, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today. 

The director-general of health said of this number, 1,059 patients are receiving intensive care, 531 of whom are given respiratory assistance. 

There were 160 Covid-19 deaths today. This brings the overall death toll to 9,184. 

Meanwhile, 11,326 recoveries were reported against 17,150 new cases, bringing the active cases closer to the 200,000 mark. 

Only one of today’s cases was imported while the remaining 17,149 were from local transmission. 

With this, the national Covid-19 caseload has crossed 1.13 million while the cumulative total of recoveries stands at 925,965. 

Of the 17,150 cases reported today, 745 or 4.3 % were in the severely ill categories of 3, 4 and 5. 

The other 95.7% or 16,405 were in the asymptomatic category 1 and mildly symptomatic category 2.

Meanwhile, 20 of today’s fatalities were dead on arrival while 133 had pre-existing health conditions. 

More than a third of today’s 160 deaths were reported in Selangor, at 55. 

This was followed by Kuala Lumpur with 25 fatalities, Negri Sembilan and Johor with 14 deaths each and Malacca and Kedah, which reported 10 cases each.

Pahang reported eight fatalities; Sabah, seven; and Penang, six. 

Kelantan and Perak reported four deaths each while Terengganu recorded three. – August 1, 2021.