KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — The Ministry of Health (MoH) reported 5,899 new Covid-19 cases yesterday, continuing the downward trend that began last week.

The latest number represents a drop of 1,069 cases compared to new infections recorded yesterday, which was at 6,968 cases.

The total number of cases recorded since the start of the pandemic in the country now stands at 4,415,101 cases.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that out of the 5,899 cases today, 16 cases were imported involving eight Malaysians and eight foreigners.

"While the remaining 5,883 cases were reported locally involving 5,664 Malaysians and 219 foreigners,” he said in a statement this morning. 

Dr Noor Hisham also said that 92 patients are currently being treated in the intensive care units (ICU) nationwide, with 56 confirmed to have Covid-19 while the remaining 36 are either suspected, probable or under investigation for the virus.

Of that, he said that 61 of them need ventilator assistance, of which 34 of them are Covid-19 positive patients.

He also added that five people died from the deadly virus yesterday, with four of them classified as brought-in-dead cases.

With this, he said the current death toll since the start of the pandemic stands at 35,470.

He also said that 8,434 patients have recovered from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total cumulative amount of recovery in the country to 4,291,447.

He said that of the 5,899 cases today, only 23 are in category 3, 4 and 5 — which require hospitalisation, while the rest are in category 1 and 2.

Dr Noor Hisham also said one new cluster were reported yesterday and the total active clusters in the country stand at 101.

Malaysia’s Covid-19 infectivity rate (R-nought or R0) is now at 0.81.