[ad_1]
PUTRAJAYA: With a 259 increase in the number of cases in a single day, the Covid-19 situation in Malaysia continues to escalate with a record total of 691 new infections.
The figure surpassed the 432 cases reported a day earlier, which was the highest increase in the country in a 24-hour span at the time.
The number of active cases in the country has risen to 2,936, the highest since the January outbreak.
Tan Sri Health Director General Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Tembok group in Kedah recorded more than half of the cases yesterday, with 394 infections (57%).
However, he assured the public that the group, which focuses on Alor Setar Prison, was isolated from civilians.
“All the positive cases detected in the Tembok group are within the area of directed enhanced motion control (MCO) order. This means that they are isolated from the community, ”said Dr. Noor Hisham, providing updates on the Covid-19 situation live from his home, while in quarantine.
The Tembok group has now become the largest and most active group in the country, with 1,047 positive cases attributed so far.
Since Sunday, a 14-day targeted enhanced MCO has been implemented at the prison and at staff units in the surrounding area.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Noor Hisham had posted a graph projecting the course of Covid-19 cases with an infectivity rate (R0 value) of 0.3, 1.5 and 2.2.
With the R0 value of 0.3, it is estimated that cases will decrease to less than 500 cases by October 31. However, with an R0 of 1.5 and 2.2, the number of cases is projected to increase to more than 1,000 and 4,500 cases. respectively before October 31.
“This graph is the simplest to illustrate our current scenario. Let’s all come together to flatten the curve again.
“As we approach the 10-month mark of the Covid-19 pandemic, our lives and normalcy have been fundamentally disrupted.
“Controlling large-scale community transmission is our top priority. We need strong solidarity and unity. Together we can better fight this common enemy, ”he tweeted yesterday.
Dr. Noor Hisham also posted a graph forecasting the total number of cases for October 10.
The graph showed that the country would register more than 20,000 cases by October 10, if the reproduction number (Rt) were 1.86.
Rt is an indicator of how fast Covid-19 is spreading.
With the increase in Tembok group cases, Kedah remains the state with the highest number of cases with 397, followed by Sabah, which has 219 cases.
Selangor reported 38 local cases, followed by Perak (eight), Negri Sembilan (seven), Johor (six), Kuala Lumpur (four), Sarawak (three), Penang (three), Terengganu (one), Putrajaya (one) and Labuan (one).
Three cases were imported, from India, Egypt and the Philippines, while the rest were local transmissions.
Yesterday, there were four new deaths related to Covid-19, bringing the death toll to 141 cases.
There are two new groups: the Batu group in Taiping, Perak, which has seven cases, and the Ramai-Ramai group in Sandakan, Sabah, with 20 cases.
On the Sabah Covid-19 situation, Dr. Noor Hisham said that the Ministry of Health had increased the capacity of its hospitals to deal with the outbreak.
“As of October 6, there are 2,820 beds in the Ministry of Health hospitals and 3,975 in the quarantine and low-risk centers. The use of these facilities is 36% and 29%, respectively, of the national total.
“In terms of intensive care units (ICU), there are 437 beds reserved for patients with Covid-19, or 6% of the country’s total. In our state hospitals a total of 1,505 ventilators have been prepared, ”she said.
Meanwhile, 87 more patients were discharged, bringing the total recoveries to 10,427.
Altogether, the total number of cases in the country amounts to 13,504.
Currently, 31 people are being treated in the ICU, and eight of them require respiratory assistance.
[ad_2]
