KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Malaysia’s Covid-19 cases climbed again today, inching closer to the 2,000-mark after dropping several notches over the weekend.

Another 1,925 new Covid-19 cases were reported today, bringing the total number of infected to 108,618 cases.

All cases were locally transmitted except for 10 people who were infected while overseas.

Apart from that, the Health Ministry registered two more fatalities from Covid-19, raising the death count to 457 cases since the virus reached the country.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the first death today was a Malaysian man aged 56. He had a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, chronic kidneys, heart ailments and stroke. He died at Hospital Sg Buloh.

Malaysia’s 457th Covid-19 fatality was a 68-year-old woman who died at Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II in Kota Baru, Kelantan.

She too had a history of high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney problems.

The state with the highest new infections today is Selangor at 747 cases. From this, 625 are from the active clusters.

Kuala Lumpur is in second place with 360 cases and Pahang third with 288 cases.

The increase in cases in Pahang is directly related to the Tembok Mempaga prison cluster with 282 cases, Dr Noor Hisham said.

He said 307 cases were linked to existing clusters in lockups, prison depots and immigration depots.

These include the Jalan Harapan prison cluster (nine cases), Tembok Gajah (nine cases), Tembok (three cases), Pagar Siput (three cases) and Tawau GK (one case).

Dr Noor Hisham said 117 patients are under the intensive care; and 55 need ventilators.