KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Malaysia today recorded 3,120 new Covid-19 infections, with 54.6 per cent or half of these patients found in the states of Selangor, Sarawak, and Kuala Lumpur alone, the Health Ministry’s latest statistics show.

The breakdown of the new cases today are Selangor (675), Sarawak (620) and Kuala Lumpur (408), followed by Johor (336) and Kelantan (296).

The rest of the new cases today were recorded in Penang (167), Kedah (155), Perak (117), Negri Sembilan (95), Sabah (89), Terengganu (53), Melaka (52), Pahang (41), Putrajaya (11) and Labuan (five), while zero cases were reported in Perlis.

This brings the total number of Covid-19 cases recorded so far in Malaysia to a cumulative figure of 420,632 cases.

Out of the 3,120 new Covid-19 cases today, the bulk of it or 3,114 cases are locally-transmitted cases with 93.7 per cent or 2,918 being Malaysians, while 196 are foreigners, while the remaining six cases are imported cases (one Malaysian, five foreigners). 

A total of 2,334 patients recovered today, which brings the total of recovered patients so far in Malaysia to 387,542 or 92.1 per cent of all recorded positive cases.

As of today, there are 31,516 Covid-19 patients still under treatment, with 338 of them in intensive care units including 181 needing respiratory support.

A total of 23 deaths from Covid-19 were recorded today, believed to be the third highest daily figure since Covid-19 deaths were first recorded in Malaysia in March 2020. The highest record of Covid-19 deaths in a day in Malaysia was recorded in February 2021.

A total of 17 new Covid-19 clusters were recorded today, namely seven involving the community, five involving the workplace, four involving the education sector (including one school, one education centre, two educational institutions) and one religious-linked cluster.

These new clusters were recorded in Sarawak, Johor, Kelantan, Kedah, Labuan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Perak, and Sabah.

MCO-related info

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob is scheduled to hold a press conference this evening at around 5pm, after days of speculation that a movement control order (MCO) will be reintroduced in the Klang Valley as well as several states.

On Sunday (May 2), English daily The Star reported sources as saying that the government is set to announce a two-week MCO starting from May 3 in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Sarawak.

Malaysia has so far had two iterations of the MCO — either nationwide or covering most parts of the country.

Ismail Sabri was later reported on the same day as denying the speculation, saying that there has yet to even be a meeting by the National Security Council (NSC) since Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s remark on the government’s need to review the current MCO.

This evening, Ismail Sabri urged the public to not spread "fake news” that would cause anxiety, including viral claims on social media such as the WhatsApp platform that the government would implement a "total lockdown” akin to MCO 1.0 on March 18, 2020.

Ismail Sabri said he himself had received many WhatsApp messages asking about a purported "total lockdown”, but noted that this was not new as such allegations had similarly been spread on social media ahead of the MCO 2.0 that was previously implemented.

He said that both he and the NSC had already denied claims that the MCO would purportedly be implemented this week nationwide, stressing that it was fake news.

"I want to state today, there is still a lot of fake news being spread, so I hope for us all, Malaysians, don’t believe in fake news. Under the law, not only those who start fake news are wrong, but those who spread it are also wrong and legal action can be taken against them, so please check before sharing,” he said.

He also said that announcements related to any form of MCO or CMCO or RMCO in any parts of the country and other non-health matters would only be verified information if announced by him, while health-related matters would be announced by either the Health minister or Health director-general as the government’s representatives.

Based on the latest government gazette of regulations made by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba on May 1, places under MCO now are Kelantan until May 17, Pahang’s Gali and Tras mukim in the Raub district until May 13, five districts in Kedah (Kota Setar, Kuala Muda, Bandar Baharu, Baling and Kulim) until May 14.

Also in the latest government gazette dated May 1, places under CMCO now are five states (Johor, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor) and Kuala Lumpur and the Seremban district in Negri Sembilan until May 17, and Pahang’s Raub district except for the Gali and Tras mukim until May 13.

Ismail Sabri announced that six districts in Selangor (Hulu Langat, Petaling, Gombak, Klang, Kuala Langat and Sepang) would no longer be under CMCO, but would be placed under MCO from May 6 to May 17.

In another government gazette dated May 1, places under a recovery movement control order (RMCO) now until May 17 are Kedah (except the five districts under MCO), Melaka, Negri Sembilan (except Seremban district), Pahang (except the Raub district), Perak, Perlis, Terengganu, Putrajaya and Labuan.