KOTA KINABALU, March 2 — The Health Ministry reported 25,854 new Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, an increase from 23,100 cases the day before.

The latest number brings the total cases in the country to 3,468,590 cumulatively. 

There were also 78 Covid-19 deaths reported in the same period, including 34 deaths which were classified as brought-in-dead (BID). This brings the total deaths recorded since the start of the pandemic to 32,827.

By states, Johor recorded 21 deaths followed by Kedah (15), Selangor (13), Perak (nine), Sabah (six), Penang (five), Kelantan, Melaka and Terengganu (two each) while, Negri Sembilan, Pahang and Kuala Lumpur recorded one death each.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that out of the 25,854 new cases, 25,406 involved local transmission while 448 were imported cases.

Most of the new cases — 99.41 per cent or 25,702 patients — are under Categories 1 and 2 where patients exhibit mild or no symptoms while 152 of them are in Categories 3, 4, and 5.

Currently, 374 patients are in intensive care units (ICU), with 213 requiring respiratory assistance.

There were also 25,548 recoveries, bringing the total recoveries to date to 3,142,112 cumulatively, or 90.6 per cent.

Dr Noor Hisham said seven new clusters were also discovered yesterday, bringing the total active clusters to 475. 

Meanwhile, the current infectivity rate, or R-naught, for the country stands at 1.02

On hospitalisations, Dr Noor Hisham said eight states recorded higher usage of ICU beds at above 50 per cent. They are Putrajaya (67 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (65 per cent), Johor  and Melaka (63 per cent), Kelantan (58 per cent), Perlis (55 per cent), Selangor (55 per cent), dan Sabah (53 per cent)

For non ICU beds, 12 states are at above 50 per cent capacity — Kelantan (94 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (95 per cent), Perak (90 per cent), Putrajaya (86 per cent), Selangor (81 per cent), Perlis (78 per cent), Pahang (73 per cent), Johor (66 per cent),  Terengganu (62 per cent), Penang (60 per cent ), Sabah (54 per) and Sarawak (52 per cent).