KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — New Covid-19 cases in Malaysia hit 6,342 yesterday, bringing the total number of cases detected in the country since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,300,558.

Yesterday’s number is a slight increase compared to the day before, which was 5,899.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah also said in a statement today that another 12 people have died due to the novel coronavirus, including two who died before being brought to a hospital.

Cumulatively, 35,482 have died in Malaysia due to the virus since the start of the pandemic.

Of yesterday’s new cases, 20 were imported by those coming into the country from abroad, comprising 15 Malaysians and five non-Malaysians.

Dr Noor Hisham said 0.66 per cent (42 cases) were in Categories 3, 4 and 5, which denotes the patients have developed a lung infection or worse.

The remaining 99.34 per cent (6,300) cases were in Categories 1 and 2 — meaning they are asymptomatic, or that they have less serious symptoms.

Of those in Categories 3, 4 and 5, 35.71 per cent were aged above 60, while 54.76 per cent had comorbidities.

There were 91 people in intensive care unit (ICU) beds dedicated to fighting Covid-19 nationwide, of whom 61 required ventilator assistance.

Dr Noor Hisham also said 9,111 Covid-19 patients were recorded to have recovered from the disease yesterday — resulting in a net reduction of active cases to 85,403.

The country’s Covid-19 recovery rate is at 97.3 per cent, while the national average infectivity rate or Rt is at 0.80.

Among states and federal territories, six had an Rt of above the national average, namely Putrajaya (1.04), Kuala Lumpur (0.86), Negri Semiblian (0.85), Selangor (0.84), Perak (0.84) and Melaka (0.82).

Additionally, all states and federal territories are currently using less than 50 per cent of the ICU and non-ICU beds they have set aside for Covid-19 patients, as well as less than 50 per cent of beds at Covid-19 quarantine centres.