Covid-19: 45 new cases, 135 recoveries and one death

Malaysia today recorded 45 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 6,428 infections, according to Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said of the 45 cases, one was imported and 44 were local transmission.

All except one local transmission were detected outside of existing enhanced movement control order (MCO) areas.

Noor Hisham (photo) also reported one new death today, bringing the death toll to 107.

The latest death is Patient 2,380, who is a 51-year-old Malaysian man.

"He had a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease," Noor Hisham told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

The man was treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital since April 22 and passed away on May 5 at 2.53pm.

He also said another 135 Covid-19 patients have recovered, putting the total recoveries at 4,702 cases or 73.15 percent of total cases.

Of the 1,619 Covid-19 patients receiving treatment, 22 are in the intensive care unit (ICU), down from 24 yesterday.

From the Covid-19 patients in ICU, nine are on ventilators, up from eight yesterday.

In a related development, Noor Hisham said since April 21, the government had transferred patients with mild Covid-19 symptoms to a temporary hospital at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (Maeps), which has a 604-bed capacity.

As of yesterday, the temporary facility had hosted 217 patients, with 65 patients discharged while another 152 are still under treatment, he said. Another seven were referred back to hospitals for further treatment.

Following the move, Noor Hisham said it had freed up capacity at other hospitals.

As such, he said Kuala Lumpur Hospital can now resume most of its elective surgeries which were previously put on hold to deal with Covid-19 cases.

Noor Hisham said while the government's targeted approach has helped bring down Covid-19 cases in the country, the people should not take things for granted.

"It is still too early to declare the Covid-19 threat as low," he said.

The DG urged the public to continue abiding by the standard operating procedures during the conditional movement control order (MCO) period on top of practising good hygiene and social distancing.