KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 ― The Health Ministry recorded 9,673 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, putting infections on the decline again after a slight uptick earlier this week.

The cumulative number now stands at 4,372,697 cases nationwide since the pandemic began in 2020.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the vast majority of the latest infections or 9,625 cases fell in Category 1 and 2 with mild to no symptoms.

He added that just 0.5 per cent or 48 people had moderate to serious symptoms. Those in Category 3 numbered 21 people, 17 were in Category 4, and 10 were in Category 5.

Out of these 48 cases, Dr Noor Hisham said 17 were people who have either not been vaccinated or not completed their vaccination while another 17 had not received their booster shots.

Another 14 more had received their boosters.

Dr Noor Hisham also said 27 patients were above age 60 and 26 have comorbidities.

He said the intensive care unit (ICU) usage in all states in the country is now less than 50 per cent, at only 18 per cent.

"Only one state, which is Putrajaya, recorded 51 per cent usage of non-ICU beds,” he said.

Nationwide, the non-ICU beds usages are at an average of 20 per cent with the highest in Putrajaya at 51 per cent and the lowest in Labuan at 2 per cent.

As for Covid-19 Low Risk Treatment and Quarantine Centre (PKRC) occupancy, Perak recorded the highest at 87 per cent.

The national average bed occupancy at the PKRC is only at 5 per cent.

However, Perlis, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Johor, Kelantan, Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan recorded zero bed occupancy.

Dr Noor Hisham said the total Covid-19 patients using ventilators have dropped to 87 patients with a percentage of ventilator usage at 10 per cent.

He said there are high risk Category 1 and 2 cases that were admitted into PKRC and hospitals as a precaution.

A total 370 Covid-19 patients were admitted into hospitals with 146 cases in categories three, four and five and 224 cases in categories one and two.

"A total 14,267 recovered cases were recorded yesterday, bringing the cumulative recoveries to 4,224,125 to date or 96.6 per cent,” he said.

A total eight new clusters were reported yesterday and there were a total of 116 active clusters currently.

The Covid-19 infectivity rate is now at 0.82 nationwide with Selangor recording the highest rate at 0.89.