MALAYSIA reported 1,037 Covid-19 hospital admissions yesterday, a reduction from the 1,146 recorded the day before, the Health Ministry said. 

According to the ministry’s CovidNow website, overall bed utilisation in the country dropped to 66.8%, whereby the take-up rate for coronavirus admissions is more than half of the total, at 36.9%. 

The hospital admission rate indicates the severity of the coronavirus outbreak. Hospital utilisation rate includes bed usage as well as the number of patients in intensive care and requiring ventilatory support.

Klang Valley reported 317 admissions yesterday, declining slightly from the 329 one day before. Bed utilisation stood at 60.9%. 

Selangor accounts for the bulk of admissions in the region with 253, followed by Kuala Lumpur (40) and Putrajaya (24).

Other states and territories that reported new admissions were Johor with 143, Sabah (99), Negri Sembilan (69), Terengganu (68), Kelantan (62), Perak (59), Sarawak (57), Pahang (44), Kedah (40), Penang (36), Malacca (25) and Perlis (18). 

Labuan did not report any new admission yesterday.

Although Selangor reported the most number of admissions yesterday, Terengganu’s bed utilisation peaked at 81.9%. 

Meanwhile, the country yesterday reported 4,896 new virus cases, the lowest in the last four days.

The Klang Valley accounted for 1,616 infections or 33% of the total number cases. Selangor reported 1,347 cases, Kuala Lumpur (232) and Putrajaya (37). 

Other states and territories reporting new infections were Johor with 487, Kelantan (432), Sabah (351), Penang (344), Kedah (335), Pahang (299), Perak (235), Negri Sembilan (230), Malacca (225), Terengganu (168), Sarawak (104), Perlis (44) and Labuan (26).

Ventilator utilisation was at 38.5% and ICU beds, 62.3%, with Covid-19 cases making up 43.9%.

Active cases rose to 62,668 after Malaysia recorded more new infections than recoveries in the past two days. 

Among the active cases, 51,062 are on home quarantine, 6,124 in low-risk quarantine centres and 4,992 in hospitals.

There are 490 patients in the intensive care unit, 269 of them requiring respiratory support. – December 5, 2021.