ACTIVE Covid-19 cases in the country soared past the 200,000 mark today after the Health Ministry reported 17,105 new cases to 12,297 recoveries in the past 24 hours, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said. 

The director-general of health said 203,664 people are being treated for Covid-19 in the country.

This is the 39th straight day of new cases outnumbering recoveries.  

Noor Hisham said of the new cases today, only 1.9% of them were categories 3, 4 and 5 while the rest were in categories 1 and 2.

He said 8,268 cases were in category 1 (asymptomatic), 8,520 in category 2 (mild symptoms), 135 in category 3 (pneumonia), 85 in category 4 (pneumonia and require oxygen support) and 97 in category 5 (those in critical condition and in need of respiratory assistance through ventilation).

Meanwhile, of the active cases, a record high of 1,066 patients is being treated in the intensive care unit while 537 patients, also a new high, require respiratory support. 

Noor Hisham said Malaysia continued to register deaths in triple digits with 195 fatalities recorded today, taking the nation’s toll to 9,598.  

Selangor accounted for 88 fatalities; Johor, 24; Penang, 15; Kedah, 13; and Sabah, 12. 

Other states reporting deaths are Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Pahang (eight each), Terengganu (seven), Perak (four), Kelantan (three), Sarawak (two) and Perlis (one).

Kuala Lumpur and Labuan have one fatality each.

A total of 150 from 195 victims had underlying medical conditions and 34 of them were declared dead on arrival. – August 3, 2021.