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As Emergency draws to a close, Malaysia adds 17,150 new Covid-19 cases

Health workers collect swab samples to test for Covid-19 at the Selcare Clinic in Shah Alam August 1, 2021. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa
Health workers collect swab samples to test for Covid-19 at the Selcare Clinic in Shah Alam August 1, 2021. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — Malaysia reported 17,150 new Covid-19 cases today, when a six-month Emergency proclaimed to combat the pandemic will effectively expire.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reported that Selangor accounted for the most new cases with 6,326, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 2,086 new infections, and Kedah with 1,511 new cases.

Johor saw 1,045 new cases while Sabah which is in Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan added 1,002 new infections over the last 24 hours.

To date, there are 1,130,422 cumulative cases nationwide

Today is also the fifth time that more than 17,000 cases have been detected in a day, with the four occasions all happening over the last eight days.

Dr Noor Hisham’s full statement later today detailed how 2,706 of today’s new infections involved non-locals with 14,443 involving Malaysians.

He also reported 11,326 more patients cured and discharged by the Ministry of Health, bringing the cumulative recovery rate to 81.9 per cent with 925,965 patients discharged so far.

“From the 17,150 daily cases reported today, 745 or 4.3 per cent are within Category 3,4 and 5. While a total of 16,405 or 95.7 per cent more are those in Category 1 and 2.

“This is based on the clinical situation of these cases when just diagnosed with Covid-19,” he wrote in his statement.

Dr Noor Hisham also detailed the discovery of 23 new Covid-19 clusters; 11 from workplaces, eight community infections, two within high-risk groups, one at an educational institution and another a detention centre.

One of the clusters named the Industri Jalan Padang Tembak 2 cluster in Kelantan is a repeat cluster among workers of a factory along Jalan Padang Tembak, Kawasan Perindustrian Pengkalan Chepa with 24 positive cases from 41 tested.

Two of these clusters were reportedly triggered by social activities; the Kandis Pantu cluster in Sri Aman, Sarawak that was caused by social interactions among community members in Kandis, Lachau, and Rapak Panyau with six confirmed cases from nine people screened.

The other caused by social activities is the Tembidong Bidong cluster in Telupid and Beluran in Sabah, with 88 positive cases from the 292 people tested.

“This cluster was caused by individuals in Kampung Tembidong Bidong, Telupid, who visited one another during a festival celebration,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

Another notable cluster is the Kampung Tok Junuh Mahligai cluster detected in Bachok, Kelantan with 13 positive cases from 28 people screened so far.

“The index case for this cluster is local case number-1,076,433, an eight-year-old local boy who was reported Covid-19 positive on July 29 after exhibiting symptoms,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

During the six-month period of emergency spanning from January 11 and July 31, a total of 1,004,157 new Covid-19 cases were reported.

Over the same period, a total of 8,469 Covid-19 related deaths were also reported.

For the record, on the first day of the Emergency on January 11, Malaysia reported 1,006 new infections, with the cumulative case count then at 109,115 confirmed infections.

On the same date, there were only a total of 555 Covid-19 deaths reported with four deaths reported that day.

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