DAILY Covid-19 hospitalisation shot up to 1,158 while 7,234 new infections were reported yesterday, the record for the year. 

The last time daily hospitalisations exceeded 1,000 was on January 26, when 1,065 virus patients were admitted.

Malaysia reported 11 Covid-related deaths yesterday, of which four were dead on arrival (DOA).

The hospital utilisation rate dropped to 61.8% yesterday from 62.3% the day before, while the coronavirus occupancy rate increased from 33.7% to 34.8. 

Ventilator utilisation was at 31.4%, while intensive care unit occupancy was at 51%, of which 13.9% were taken up by Covid-19 patients.

The hospital admission rate indicates the severity of the virus. Hospital utilisation includes bed occupancy as well as the number of patients in ICU and on ventilators.

For the second straight day, Johor, which will soon hold elections, posted the most number of hospital admissions at 279, followed by Selangor (264) and Sabah (199). 

Other states and territories reporting new admissions were Negri Sembilan (67), Perak (53), Sarawak (48), Kelantan (43), Kedah (35), Putrajaya (33), Pahang (30), Kuala Lumpur (29), Terengganu (24), Penang (24), Malacca (22), Perlis (6) and Labuan (2).

Malacca had the highest hospital bed utilisation rate at 78.6%, including by non-Covid cases.

The Klang Valley accounted for 2,772 of the 7,234 new cases. Selangor contributed 1,987, Kuala Lumpur 709, and Putrajaya 76.

Other states and territories reporting new cases are Sabah (909), Johor (757), Kedah (751), Penang (360), Kelantan (355), Negri Sembilan (337), Pahang (331), Malacca (252), Perak (208), Terengganu (116), Perlis (52), Sarawak (22) and Labuan (12).

Of these new cases, 99% (7,161) of cases were in the less severe categories of 1 and 2, while 1% (73) cases were in the more severe categories of 3, 4 and 5. 

Active cases rose to 63,395 after Malaysia reported 5,254 recoveries yesterday.

Of the total active cases, 55,759 patients were in home quarantine, 4,092 were in low-risk quarantine centres and 3,426 were in hospitals.

A total of 118 were in intensive care, of which 57 were on ventilators. 

Johor also registered the most virus fatalities yesterday at three, one of which was DOA.

Penang and Sabah recorded two deaths each and Kedah, Perak, Selangor and Terengganu, one each. 

DOA cases were also reported in Kedah, Sabah and Selangor. 

The virus mortality rate was at 0.2%, while the two-week average for virus deaths stood at 32 per 10 million people.  – February 6, 2022.