Malaysia sees 30,787 new Covid-19 infections, 70 deaths

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — Malaysia recorded 30,787 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours.

The latest numbers represent an increase of 541 cases compared to new infections recorded yesterday.

With this latest figure, the total number of cases recorded since the start of the pandemic in the country is now 3,741,986. 

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that out of the 30,787 cases today, 608 cases were imported involving 564 Malaysians and 44 foreigners.

“While the balance 30,179 cases were reported here involving 29,295 Malaysians and 884 foreigners,” he said in a statement today. 

Dr Noor Hisham also said that 389 patients are currently being treated in intensive care units (ICU) nationwide, with 153 confirmed to have Covid-19 while the remaining 236 are either suspected cases or under investigation for the disease. 

Of that, he said that 229 patients need ventilator assistance, and of those needing machines to breathe, 96 are Covid-19 positive.

He also added that 70 people died from the coronavirus yesterday; of which 19 were taken to hospitals already dead.

Malaysia's current death toll since the start of the pandemic stands at 33,567. 

He also said that 26,457 patients have recovered from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total cumulative amount of recovery in the country to 3,393,999. 

He said that of the 30,787 cases today, only 224 are in Categories 3, 4 and 5 — which require hospitalisation, while the balance are in Categories 1 and 2.

Dr Noor Hisham said Covid-19 cases at ICUs in six states have reached or exceeded 50 per cent capacity.

They are: Kelantan at 79 per cent, Johor at 68 per cent, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya at 67 per cent, Kuala Lumpur at 62 per cent, Selangor and Penang both at 58 per cent. 

Meanwhile, there are 12 states with over 50 per cent of non-ICU beds used for Covid-19 patients.

They are: Selangor (111 per cent), Putrajaya (111 per cent), Kuala Lumpur (91 per cent), Terengganu (90 per cent), Perlis (89 per cent), Perak (89 per cent), Melaka (77 per cent), Kelantan (73 per cent, Sarawak (72 per cent), Pahang (61 per cent), Johor (61 per cent) and Penang (57 per cent). 

Dr Noor Hisham also said four new clusters were reported yesterday, bringing the total active clusters to 419. 

Malaysia’s Covid-19 infectivity rate (R-nought or R0) is now at 1.04.