KOTA KINABALU, Sept 6 — The high number of Covid-19 deaths reported daily does not reflect the actual number of fresh deaths that occur within 24 hours, federal Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

He explained that the numbers are sometimes piled up over several days as the authorities need time to confirm the cause of death, especially in places like the Klang Valley which also have a high Covid-19 vaccination rate.

"The daily death reports are not necessarily from the last 24 hours. There is a long backlog because we have to confirm the cause of death is from Covid-19 and not something else,” he told a press conference after a National Covid-19 Vaccine and Immunisation Task Force (CITF) meeting with the Sabah government at the state administrative centre here.

Khairy said most of the backlog was a result of the high number of people brought in dead (BID) to hospitals, as their causes of death had to be investigated before they can be reported as a Covid statistic.

"Hopefully we will see a reduction in two to three weeks once we clear the backlog on deaths registered.

"I will make further announcements and explanations on this matter when I get the new data set on Wednesday,” he said.

Khairy said most of the BID cases were Covid-19 patients who were quarantined at home and were not taken to the hospital in time as soon as their condition deteriorated.

He said many Covid-19 patients were also told to self-isolate at home and monitor themselves, and instructed to seek medical attention only when their conditions worsen.

"Without the right supervision, it is too late for them by the time they get sent to the hospital. I will ask the Sabah government to alert local leaders and also, neighbours should be informed to prevent this from happening,” he said.

The total number of people who died from Covid-19 in Malaysia totalled 18,219 as of yesterday.

Of the 336 new deaths reported yesterday, 107 were BID cases.