KEY Covid-19 indicators shot up again today after a slight dip yesterday.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said active cases rose to a new high of 262,713 cases after 20,837 new infections were reported today.

The new infections outstrip the 18,613 recoveries today.

Yesterday, the number of active cases dropped for the first time in 58 days to 260,700 when recoveries outnumbered new cases. The number of fresh infections yesterday was also lower at 17,672.

Of today’s active cases, 1,063 are in ICU care and 511 require respiratory support.

On deaths, there were 211 today, taking the death toll to 14,553. Of the victims, 187 were Malaysians.

For the second consecutive day, Johor topped other states with the most fatalities, with 41 deaths.

Other states reporting deaths are Selangor (36), Kedah (32), Penang (23), Sabah (17), Perak (16), Negri Sembilan (12), Pahang (nine), Terengganu (five), Kelantan and Malacca (three each), Sarawak and Perlis (two each). Kuala Lumpur has 10.

Of the total deaths, 40 were pronounced dead-on-arrival; 26 of them Malaysian, the rest foreigners.

A total of 169 of the deceased today had underlying medical conditions. – August 24, 2021.