KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — Daily Covid-19 infections in the country fell to 2,690 cases, taking the cumulative total as of noon today to 2,767,044.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that of the new cases, 52 were in categories three, four and five while the rest were in categories one and two.
“A total of 265 cases required treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) while 147 cases needed respiratory assistance,” he said in a statement on Covid-19 today.
A total of 3,535 recoveries were also recorded, taking the cumulative total number of recovered cases to 2,695,751.
According to Dr Noor Hisham, three new clusters were reported today, bringing the total number of active clusters to 206.
He said detailed information on the Covid-19 situation in the country will be uploaded on the COVIDNOW website and the data would be updated at midnight every day.
Meanwhile, he said Malaysia recorded a 2.3 per cent increase in Covid-19 infections in the 52nd epidemiological week (ME) from December 26, 2021 to January 1, 2022 from 22,554 cases (51st ME) to 23,071 cases, after a decline in cases was recorded for five straight weeks since the 46th ME.
However, he said the average number of active cases recorded a 15 per cent drop, with an average of 40,963 cases in the 52nd ME, apart from an 18.2 per cent drop in fatalities and an 18 per cent decline in cases requiring treatment in the ICU.
Dr Noor Hisham also said that the Ministry of Health had stressed to umrah pilgrims allowed to undergo home quarantine not to receive visits from family members, friends and neighbours.
“This is to prevent their visitors and, subsequently, the community from being infected,” he said.
On Jan 1, the government decided to temporarily suspend travel permission to perform umrah starting January 8 so as to curb the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.
It was also decided that pilgrims returning home from today will undergo mandatory quarantine at quarantine stations or hotels specified by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA).
On the Covid-19 infection among flood victims, Dr Noor Hisham said one new case was reported, taking the total number of cases involving flood victims to 461 as of 3 pm today.
He said the 39 cases of infectious diseases detected among flood victims today involved 33 cases of acute respiratory tract infections (ARI), skin diseases (four) and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) (two).
He also said that 194 temporary evacuation centres (PPS) were still operating, involving 70 in Johor, Pahang (54), Melaka (23), Sabah (23), Negeri Sembilan (22) and Selangor (two), with the total number of flood victims now at 13,577.
— Bernama
