MALAYSIA logged a record-high 257 Covid-19 deaths as of noon today with 210,522 active cases, the highest numbers recorded since the start of the pandemic, Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

The number of fatalities today eclipsed the previous high of 219 deaths reported on August 2.

The nation’s death toll is now inching closer to the 10,000 mark as today’s fatalities bring the tally to 9,855.

Elaborating on the fatalities today, Noor Hisham said that 226 involved locals and 31 were foreigners. Among the victims were 137 males.

Of the number of fatalities, Selangor accounted for 91 deaths, followed by Kuala Lumpur (74), Johor (25), Malacca (24), Negri Sembilan and Perak (nine each), Kedah (eight), Sabah (six), Terengganu (four), Penang and Kelantan (three each), and Pahang (one).

A total of 206 victims had underlying medical conditions, while 21 were declared dead on arrival (DOA).

Meanwhile, the number of active cases continued to spike as Malaysia today reported a record 19,819 new cases against 12,704 recoveries.

This would be the 40th consecutive day that new cases outnumber recoveries.

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

He said 10,001 cases were of category 1 (asymptomatic), 9,443 of category 2 (mild symptoms), 180 of category 3 (pneumonia), 108 of category 4 (pneumonia and require oxygen support) and 87 of category 5 (those in critical condition and in need of respiratory assistance through ventilation).

Noor Hisham said that a total of 3,592 of today’s cases had been vaccinated against Covid-19, meaning they contracted the virus after immunisation.

Besides this, the number of patients in intensive care units and those requiring respiratory support also does not seem to be showing any positive progress as the figures continued to increase to a new high of 1,069 and 553 respectively. – August 4, 2021.