Covid-19 (Feb 2): Fewer new cases but more in ICUs, record number of deaths

COVID-19 | The Health Ministry today reported 3,455 new Covid-19 cases amid a record number of patients (327) requiring intensive care.

There was a record number of deaths (21) as well.

• Active cases: 47,847
  
  
• Patients in ICU: 327 (new record)
  
  
• Intubated: 145 (new record)
  
  
• RT-PCR tests*: N/A (Jan 21 - 48,728 tests processed, 76,255 capacity)
  
  
• Number of samples taken**: 19,697

In Selangor, although the number of new cases remained in the four-digits for the sixth day, the number of cases detected among those who reported symptoms and not linked to clusters or close contacts appears to be on a slight downward trend (see chart below).

Those with symptoms are more likely to spread Covid-19 compared to those who are asymptomatic.

Half the new cases in Selangor were from close contacts while a quarter was from two new clusters - Jalan Ragum and Bukit Rahman.

In Kuala Lumpur, half of the new cases came from a single construction site cluster - Tapak Bina Jalan Cheras.  

New cases by states, in brief: 

Selangor (1,145)
Existing clusters: 46
New cluster(s): 252 (Jalan Ragum dan Bukit Rahman)
Close contacts: 565
Imported: 1
Other screenings: 281

Johor (708)
Existing clusters: 280
New cluster(s): 24 (Parit Jamil Darat)
Close contacts: 264
Imported: 1
Other screenings: 139

Kuala Lumpur (619)
Existing clusters: 74
New cluster(s): 332 (Tapak Bina Jalan Cheras)
Close contacts: 108
Imported: 3
Other screenings: 102

Sabah (276)
Existing clusters: 50
Close contacts: 172
Other screenings: 54

Sarawak (121)
Existing clusters: 36
Close contacts: 44
Other screenings: 41

Terengganu (115)
Existing clusters: 14
Close contacts: 20
Other screenings: 81

Penang (85)
Existing clusters: 14
Close contacts: 13
Other screenings: 58

Perak (84)
Existing clusters: 30
New cluster: 4 (Semarak Bersia)
Close contacts: 26
Other screenings: 24

Negeri Sembilan (79)
Existing clusters: 2
Close contacts: 28
Other screenings: 49

Pahang (63)
Existing clusters: 25
New cluster: 1 (Taman Muhibbah)
Close contacts: 26
Other screenings: 11

Malacca (62)
Existing clusters: 40
New clusters: 4 (Industri Serkam)
Close contacts: 11
Other screenings: 7

Kedah (59)
Existing clusters: 23
Close contacts: 20
Other screenings: 16

Kelantan (31)
Close contacts: 22
Other screenings: 9

Putrajaya (6)
Existing clusters: 1
Close contacts: 2
Other screenings: 3

Labuan (1)
Existing cluster: 1

Perlis (1)
Close contacts: 1

Deaths

The Klang Valley region accounted for 14 deaths. The youngest victim was 36 and the average age of all victims was 65. Details of the victims are on Malaysiakini Covid-19 tracker page. 

This region accounts for 27.7 percent of Covid-19 deaths and the figure is climbing (see chart below).

It should be noted that the reported deaths may not have necessarily occurred over the 24-hour period ending noon today. 

Clusters

The Health Ministry classified seven new clusters which mostly involved factories and construction sites. 

There was one cluster involving a government office in Kuantan - Taman Muhibbah - and another involving a community - Semarak Bersia.

The Semarak Bersia cluster may not necessarily be linked to the government's decision to put the nearby Felda Bersia under an enhanced movement control order (MCO).

Details of new clusters in brief:

Jalan Ragum cluster
District(s): Klang and Petaling, Selangor
Locality/Source: Factory in Jalan Ragum, Shah Alam
Cluster category: Workplace
First case: Jan 16, targeted screening
Total infected: 219 out of 542 screened

Bukit Rahman cluster
District(s): Kuala Selangor, Petaling and Gombak, Selangor
Locality/Source: Factory in Taman Perindustrian Bukit Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh.
Cluster category: Workplace
First case: Jan 31, targeted screening
Total infected: 48 out of 2,800 screened

Parit Jamil Darat cluster
District(s): Muar, Johor
Locality/Source: Factory in Parit Jawa
Cluster category: Workplace
First case: Feb 1, targeted screening
Total infected: 26 out of 189 screened

Tapak Bina Jalan Cheras cluster
District(s): Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
Locality/Source: Construction site
Cluster category: Workplace
First case: Feb 2, targeted screening
Total infected: 332 out of 823 screened

Taman Muhibbah cluster
District(s): Temerloh and Kuantan, Pahang
Locality/Source: Government office, Kuantan
Cluster category: Workplace
First case: Jan 27, index case with symptoms
Total infected: 14 out of 47 screened

Industri Serkam cluster
District(s): Jasin and Melaka Tengah, Malacca
Locality/Source: Factory in Serkam
Cluster category: Workplace
First case: Jan 25, targeted screening
Total infected: 14 out of 47 screened

Semarak Bersia cluster
District(s): Hulu Perak, Perak
Locality/Source: Taman Semarak and Bersia, Gerik
Cluster category: Community
First case: Jan 21, close contact
Total infected: 19 out of 58 screened

*RT PCR statistics are only announced when health director-general conducts a media briefing in Putrajaya. The last briefing was on Jan 21.

**This figure is derived from subtracting today's sampling number with the day before's. The Health Ministry's testing definition is RT PCR and RTK Antigen.

Keep up with the latest information on the outbreak in the country with Malaysiakini's free Covid-19 tracker.

Malaysiakini is providing free access to the most important updates on the coronavirus pandemic. You can find them here.

Help keep independent media alive - subscribe to Malaysiakini.