KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — All Klang Valley residents who test positive for Covid-19 will be told to stay home and monitor themselves using the Health Assessment Tool (HAT), a feature in the MySejahtera smartphone application, Health deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Chong Chee Kheong said today.

Dr Chong, who heads the special Greater Klang Valley Task Force which was formed recently to make quick decisions for Covid-19 cases, said that the decision was made following a tremendous increase in cases of between 4,000 to 6,000 daily here.

"At the present moment, for the greater Klang Valley, we are now asking for those who are tested positive to stay at home and monitor themselves using the HAT, which is embedded in the MySejahtera application.

"A digital home surveillance order will be sent to them, also through MySejahtera to remind them that they are legally under home surveillance, although they do not wear a pink tag.

"All those who are symptomatic, will be asked to come to the Covid-19 assessment centres for assessment, if they are found necessary through the HAT,” Dr Chong said, during the Ministry of Health’s press briefing on the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia.

He said that the ministry resorted to such means, to focus on those "who are ill and those who are deteriorating”.

Malaysia today reported its new highest number of Covid-19 cases detected in a single day with 15,573 new infections reported over the last day.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Selangor again topped the list, contributing to almost half of today’s infection with 7,672 new cases.

This is followed by 2,063 new infections detected in Kuala Lumpur, with the situation worsening in Kedah with 937 new cases over the last 24 hours.

Johor meanwhile reported 722 new cases, 682 in Negri Sembilan, and 530 in Penang which is under phase two of the National Recovery Plan.