KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 — Covid-19 infections rose slightly last week in the Klang Valley and Negeri Sembilan, potentially marking a reverse in declines from two months ago in the country’s industrialised region.
Weekly new cases in Negeri Sembilan began rising for the past three weeks, from 1,092 cases in the 38th epidemiological week (September 19 to 25), up by 17.5 per cent to 1,283 cases in the past 41st epid week (October 10-16).
According to the CovidNow website, daily hospital admissions for coronavirus in Negeri Sembilan began plateauing from an average 49 new admissions on September 24, after a decline from a peak of 172 average new admissions on July 19.
Active Covid-19 patients under intensive care in Negeri Sembilan began rising from an average of eight cases on October 8 to 10 cases yesterday. Covid-19 patients on ventilator support in Negeri Sembilan began plateauing from an average six cases on October 6, after a months-long fall from a peak of 71 patients on July 15.
Weekly new coronavirus cases in the Klang Valley increased in the week of October 10 to 16 from the previous week. Infections rose about 8 per cent in Kuala Lumpur and 3 per cent each in Putrajaya and Selangor in that period. New cases in Putrajaya were on an upward trend in the past three weeks, rising by 25 per cent from 175 cases in the week of September 19-25 to 218 cases in the October 10-16 week.
According to CovidNow, hospital admissions for Covid-19 patients in the country’s commercial region increased 35 per cent from an average 309 admissions on October 11 to 416 admissions yesterday, mostly contributed by cases in Selangor.
Intensive care unit (ICU) and ventilated Covid-19 cases in the Klang Valley continued declining, albeit at a slower pace this month.
The ICU utilisation rate in the Klang Valley is now at 66.1 per cent, exceeding the national average rate of 61.5 per cent. Negeri Sembilan’s ICU occupancy rate is at 39.1 per cent, the second lowest in the country after Labuan.
About 65 per cent and 56 per cent of hospital beds in Negeri Sembilan and the Klang Valley are occupied respectively, below the 66.8 per cent national average.
Some 85 per cent and 75 per cent of the total populations in the Klang Valley and Negeri Sembilan have been fully vaccinated, exceeding the national average 70 per cent rate.
