ACTIVE Covid-19 cases in Malaysia are likely to breach the 150,000 mark today as new infections continue to outpace recoveries. 

Malaysia yesterday reported 22,802 fresh cases against 5,442 recoveries yesterday, taking the active caseload to 140,336. 

Fifteen Covid-related deaths were logged yesterday. 

Among the new cases, 22,698, or 99.54%, were in the less severe categories of 1 and 2.

Of the active cases, 127,984 (91.2%) were in home quarantine, 6,254 (4.5%) in quarantine centres and 5,922 (4.2%) in hospital.

The hospital bed take-up rate was also on the up. 

Yesterday, saw 1,747 people hospitalised with the virus. 

The hospital bed utilisation rate rose slightly to 66% from 65.9% the day before, while the coronavirus occupancy rate grew from 51.8% to 55.1%.

Ventilator utilisation was at 36%, while intensive care unit occupancy was at 53.9%, of which 20.9% were taken up by Covid-19 patients.

Selangor accounted for the most number of admissions at 374, followed by election-bound Johor (327) and Sabah (295). 

Other states and territories that reported new admissions were Perak (128), Sarawak (90), Kelantan (81), Negri Sembilan (77), Pahang (71), Kedah (55), Penang (47), Malacca (29), Perlis (28), Terengganu (25) and Labuan (6). 

Hospital bed utilisation in Malacca, including non-Covid cases, was at 80%, the highest the states and territories. 

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.

Meanwhile, of the 22,802 new cases, 7,303 or 32% were reported in the Klang Valley region, comprising Selangor (6,136), Kuala Lumpur (1,043) and Putrajaya (124). 

Sabah reported the second most number of new infection yesterday with 4,107 cases, followed by Johor, which is scheduled to have its state polls on March 12 with 3,238 cases. 

Other states and territories reporting new cases are Kedah (1,629), Penang (1,574), Kelantan (1,274), Pahang (1,063), Negri Sembilan (731), Malacca (656), Perak (503), Terengganu (270), Sarawak (186), Perlis (139) and Labuan (129). 

Of the 15 fatalities reported, five were classified dead on arrival (DOA). 

The death toll stood at 32,114, of which 6,488 were DOA. 

Johor and Perak recorded four deaths each, Kelantan and Terengganu had two each, while Kedah, Malacca and Sabah logged one each.

Two DOA cases were reported in Johor and one each in Kedah, Kelantan and Sabah.

The virus mortality rate was at 0.2%, while the two-week average for virus deaths stood at 37 per 10 million people. – February 13, 2022.