KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 – Covid-19 cases rose by 23.7 per cent to a daily average of 7,798 in the past week from 6,306 daily cases in the previous week, along with increased testing.
Despite increased testing, the positive rate also increased in that period from 8.15 per cent in the 26th epidemiological week (June 27-July 3) to 8.92 per cent in the 27th week (July 4-10).
Total Covid-19 testing nationwide increased by 13 per cent, from 541,725 tests conducted throughout the 26th epidemiological week to 612,157 tests throughout the 27th epidemiological week. The Ministry of Health (MOH) does not release testing data by state.
While testing has increased over the last three weeks, testing during the 27th epidemiological week (July 4-10) decreased by 20 per cent when compared to the 21st epidemiological week (May 23-29) at 767,209 total people tested, before the implementation of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
In May 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarked a 5 per cent positive testing rate as an indicator of disease control within a country, with rates of less than 5 per cent indicating good control.
However, positive testing rates closer to 1-3 per cent have been suggested by EMIR Research to be more indicative of disease control.
In the 25th epidemiological week (June 20-26), daily cases in Malaysia averaged at 5,335 people who tested positive for Covid-19.
Over the last week, the nation broke the previous all-time high daily case record of 9,020 positive cases (May 29) twice: on July 9 with 9,180 cases and July 10 with 9,353 cases.
Based on data published by MOH, Selangor had the highest number of Covid-19 cases the past week of July 4 to 10, with an average of 3,440 cases recorded per day.
This marked a 32.5 per cent increase compared to the 26th epidemiological week of 2,596 average daily cases in the country’s most industrialised state.
In the 25th epidemiological week from June 20-26, Selangor reported an average 1,851 daily cases.
In a statement by Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the high numbers seen in Selangor can be attributed to mass screening in the Klang Valley during the EMCO.
He also claimed that Covid-19 cases would decline in the next one to two weeks. Based on accounts from medical frontliners, however, Klang Valley’s health care system appears to have collapsed with over-run hospitals, amid full wards and shortages of ventilators, oxygen supply, and medication.
Kuala Lumpur had the second highest number of average daily Covid-19 cases in Malaysia in the past week from July 4 to 10 at 1,113 infections, as well as the fourth-highest percentage increase of positive cases at 46.3 per cent compared to the previous week.
Johor, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Sabah, Terengganu, and Putrajaya also showed increased reported Covid-19 cases in the past week of July 4 to 10 compared to the 26th epidemiological week (June 27-July 3). Only Sarawak, Labuan, and Perlis showed a decline in cases in that period.
