KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 10 — Malaysia reported 2,234 new Covid-19 cases today, shattering its previous 24-hour record of 2,188 infections about two weeks ago on November 24.
This record high number of cases brings the cumulative Covid-19 cases in this country to 78,499 cases. Although the Philippines has a higher number of cumulative Covid-19 cases, (445,540), the daily tally reported in the Philippines today (1,383) was much lower than Malaysia.
Although Indonesia reported a higher number of total Covid-19 cases today (6,033 cases), its incidence rate per 100,000 population for today’s tally is 2.2, which is lower compared to Malaysia’s incidence rate of 6.9 per 100,000 population for today’s new cases.
Malaysia has been consistently reporting additional 10,000 positive Covid-19 cases every eight days since November 18. If tomorrow, the Ministry of Health (MOH) records over 1,500 positive cases, Malaysia will surpass the 80,000 mark.
In just three weeks from November 18 when Malaysia reported 50,390 positive Covid-19 cases, the third wave of the epidemic has seen 28,109 coronavirus infections since.
MOH also recorded three new deaths from Covid-19 today — two in Sabah and one in Labuan — pushing the death toll to 396 fatalities. Active cases are currently at 11,867. A total of 124 Covid-19 patients are in intensive care, including 60 on ventilator support.
Five of today’s 2,234 new Covid-19 cases are imported. Selangor reported the highest number of Covid-19 cases today at 1,428 infections, followed by Sabah (274), Kuala Lumpur (136), Perak (115), and Johor (100). Other states reported fewer than 100 cases.
In Selangor, the Seruling cluster recorded 842 new infections, while the Hentian cluster reported 315 cases.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in his statement today that Covid-19 cases in Selangor are predicted to stay on the rise, following the expansion of migrant worker screening by the Social Security Organization (SOCSO) and by many employers themselves around the Klang Valley.
MOH also reported additional five new clusters today, three in the Klang Valley, and two in Johor.
The details of each cluster is as below:
- Tapak Bina Jalan Bukit cluster: Detected in Hulu Langat, Selangor, in a symptomatic construction worker. This cluster has a positivity rate of 44.95 per cent.
- Tapak Bina Condong cluster: Detected in Lembah Pantai, Titiwangsa, and Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, during a construction site screening. This cluster has a positivity rate of 8.2 per cent.
- Tapak Bina Jalan Stadium cluster: Detected in Titiwangsa and Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, during a construction site screening. This cluster has a positivity rate of 15.5 per cent.
- Jalan Dalam cluster: Detected in Kuala, Batu Pahat, and Johor Baru, Johor during a symptomatic screening. This cluster has a positivity rate of 12.03 per cent.
- Tenun Merah cluster: Detected in Batu Pahat, Johor during a symptomatic screening. This cluster has a positivity rate of 8.01 per cent.
The breakdown of the 2,234 cases according to states is as below:
- Selangor: 1,428 cases
- Sabah: 274 cases
- Kuala Lumpur: 136 cases
- Perak: 115 cases
- Johor: 100 cases
- Negeri Sembilan: 67 cases
- Pahang: 45 cases
- Penang: 42 cases
- Kedah: 14 cases
- Melaka: five cases
- Kelantan: three cases
- Terengganu: three cases
- Sarawak: one case
- Putrajaya: one case
