KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — The Health Ministry recorded just 58 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, after a sudden increase yesterday triggered renewed concerns about the coronavirus in Malaysia.

However, local transmission continued to be the overwhelming source of the new infections, with just three of the new cases coming from returnees.

No deaths were reported, keeping the number of patients lost to Covid-19 at 128.

Eight patients were discharged, offsetting some of the new infections and bringing the number of active and infectious cases to 551.

As with yesterday, the bulk of the cases — 49 — occurred in Sabah where a state election is ongoing.

The rest were in Kedah (five), Selangor (two), and Kuala Lumpur (two).