One death and 85 new Covid-19 cases - lowest in a month

CORONAVIRUS | Malaysia today recorded 85 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest number of cases recorded in a day since March 14.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this brings the total Covid-19 cases to 5,072.

The number of daily cases has been at more than 100 since March 15. The Health Ministry had reported 35 cases on March 14.

Noor Hisham also reported one new death, bringing the toll to 83.

The latest death involves Patient 4,988, who is a 69-year-old Malaysian man who had a history of diabetes and high blood pressure.

He was treated at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre on March 21 and passed away today at 6.41am.

On the bright side, 169 people have recovered, bringing the total recoveries to 2,647 people.

This translates to a recovery rate or 52.2 percent, the first time more than half of the infected people have recovered. 

Noor Hisham said the number of active patients, meaning those who are still infected and have not recovered, stands at 2,342 people.

Of the Covid-19 patients who are under treatment, 56 are in the intensive care unit (ICU), down from 60 yesterday.

From the ones in ICU, 32 are on ventilators, down from 33 yesterday.

All the data provided are up to noon today.

As of yesterday, the cumulative number of tests where results have come through was 84,791. Of this, 4,987 (5.88 percent) were positive.

Today that number is 87,183, of which 5,072 (5.82 percent) were positive.

Noor Hisham said the movement control order (MCO) was showing positive signs.

"After almost a month after the implementation of two phases of the MCO, we can see the trend of new Covid-19 cases to be somewhat under control with a spike.

"The number of patients being discharged are also increasing by the day. These are encouraging outcomes from the implementation of the MCO," he added.

Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry will continue to use a targeted approach to tracking and treating Covid-19.

However, he noted there was an increasing number of people violating the MCO.

As such, he supported the National Security Council's decision to enforce the MCO more strictly.

Earlier today, Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who is also the senior minister coordinating the MCO, announced that 13 academies belonging to the Prisons Department will be converted into detention centres for MCO violators. 

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