KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 19): The number of cases, fatalities, bed usage and use of the intensive care unit (ICU) for Covid-19 patients reported daily continued to show a downward trend in the 41st epidemiological week (ME), said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He also said that throughout the duration of the 41st ME, namely from Oct 10 to 16, the infectivity rate or R-naught (RT) remained stable at around 0.80-0.90.

He said this was in line with increased coverage of Covid-19 vaccination in Malaysia besides efforts to reopen various sectors systematically through more convincing safe reopening initiatives.

“During that period, new Covid-19 cases showed a 17.9% decrease from 63,722 cases (for the 40th ME) to 52,321 (41st ME). New cases in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, were beginning to show a horizontal trend.

“The average of active cases dropped 21% from 133,450 cases (40th ME) to 105,497 (41st ME), while deaths decreased by 15.3% from 700 cases (40th ME) to 593 (41st ME).

“The number of cases requiring treatment in the ICU also showed a 12% drop from 778 cases (40th ME) to 684 (41st ME), while cases requiring breathing assistance showed an 11.9% dip from 331 cases (40th ME) to 292 (41st ME),” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 19).

The total number of Covid-19 clusters also showed a decline for the same period, with 83 new clusters reported, involving 37 or 44.6% workplace clusters, 25 (30.1%) community clusters, 10 (12.1%) educational centre clusters, nine (10.8%) high-risk group clusters, one (1.2%) detention centre cluster and one (1.2%) religious cluster.

Bed utilisation capacity of Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-risk Treatment Centres and wards as well as the use of breathing apparatus also showed a downward trend of between 1% and 3% in the 41st ME compared to the 40th ME.

5,745 new cases

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham announced that 5,745 new Covid-19 cases were recorded as of noon on Tuesday (Oct 19), taking the country's total number of infections to 2,401,866.

According to him, only 115 cases or 2% of the latest infections were in category three, four or five, while the remaining 5,630 or 98% were in category one or two.

“Of the new cases, 12 were imported cases, while 5,733 were local transmissions,” he said, adding that Malaysia also recorded 8,933 recoveries to take the total number of recoveries to 2,287,888.

Dr Noor Hisham said 682 cases were being treated in the ICU, with 331 of them requiring ventilator support, while eight new clusters were identified, involving seven workplace clusters and one educational cluster.

Detailed information on the current Covid-19 situation in Malaysia would be uploaded on the COVIDNOW website via https://covidnow.moh.gov.my, with the data updated at midnight every day.

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