KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 ― Malaysia reported 18 deaths from Covid-19 today, the highest ever daily death toll since the pandemic began last year.

The figure surpassed the previous peak on January 8 of 16 deaths in a day, taking the number of deaths due to Covid-19 to 660.

According to Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, 17 of the dead were Malaysians and one was a foreigner.

"The death cases today involved nine cases from Selangor, three cases from Sabah, two cases from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, two cases from Sarawak and one case each from Johor and Penang,” he said in a statement today.

He also posted that currently 251 patients are treated in intensive care units while 102 needed ventilators.

He said there were 3631 new infections including six imported cases, making the accumulated positive to 176,180.

Selangor was the state with most new cases with 782 followed by Johor (466), Sabah (453), Kuala Lumpur (435), Sarawak (229) and Penang (202).

Other states with three digit increased are Negri Sembilan with 197 new cases, Terengganu (178), Kedah (166), Kelantan (161) and Perak (161).

Active cases in Malaysia now are currently 42,814.

Dr Noor Hisham also announced 12 new clusters today, Kluster Jalan Sungai Chandong in Klang, Selangor; Kluster Putra Tujuh in Petaling, Selangor; Kluster Jalan Perwira, Johor Baru in Johor; Kluster Jalan Skudai, Johor; Kluster Jalan Indah Gemilang in Kota Tinggi and Johor Baru in Johor; Kluster Tembok Renggam in Kluang, Johor; Kluster Selasih Perindu in Kulai, Johor; Kluster Ladang Jesa Jerocco in Kinabatangan, Sabah; Kluster Serkam Tengah in Melaka; Kluster Kampung Paya Siput in Temerloh, Pahang; Kluster Tanjung Lumpur in Kuantan, Pahang and Kluster Jalan Kinabenua in Labuan.

Dr Noor Hisham said 86 clusters recorded new cases today with the numbers of active clusters currently at 335.

"Clusters with the highest number of new cases today is Kluster Pasai (112 cases), Kluster Taman Bina Muda (93 cases), and Kluster Seri Bayu (81 cases),” he said.

He said 2,554 patients were discharged today, bringing total recoveries from Covid-19 to 132,706 or 75.3 per cent.