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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 14 new deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday (Jan 19), as the government moved to expand its Movement Control Order (MCO) to all states except Sarawak.
The latest deaths come amid a nationwide state of emergency as Malaysia struggles to contain a surge in COVID-19 infections.
The deaths reported Tuesday involved 12 citizens and two foreigners between the ages of 46 and 84.
The deaths were recorded in Perak, Selangor, Kedah, Kelantan, Sarawak, Johor and Labuan. Most of the victims had pre-existing conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
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A total of 3,631 new COVID-19 cases were also recorded, with the Klang Valley area comprising Selangor and Kuala Lumpur accounting for about half of the new infections.
A total of 1,199 cases were found in Selangor and 521 in Kuala Lumpur, while Sabah and Johor accounted for 526 and 368 infections, respectively.
Nine new clusters were also identified, bringing the total number of active clusters in Malaysia to 305. Four of the new clusters included workplaces, two were for family gatherings, and one started at a wedding reception.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin greets people who tested positive for COVID-19 at a quarantine facility at the Malaysian Agro Exhibition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, outside Kuala Lumpur, on January 19. 2021 (Photo: AFP / Malaysian Information Department). / Syarul Azis)
There are currently 238 COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit, of which 96 require respiratory support, said Chief Health Officer Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The percentage of COVID-19 patients classified as “severe” in government hospitals has also increased fivefold from 3% to 15%.
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin greets people who tested positive for COVID-19 at a quarantine facility at the Malaysian Agro Exhibition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang, outside Kuala Lumpur, on January 19. 2021 (Photo: AFP / Malaysian Information Department). / Syarul Azis)
Dr Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry anticipates that the number of new cases will stabilize in another two weeks and also urged members of the public not to visit hospitals unnecessarily to avoid contracting the coronavirus.
The health ministry will also consider the need to extend the MCO period based on the current risk assessment, he added.
Defense Minister Ismail Sabri said on Tuesday that the MCO will be implemented in Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Terengganu, Perlis and Negeri Sembilan. This will be effective from 12:01 am on January 22 and will last until February 4.
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This comes after Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said last week that five states, including Penang, Selangor, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, and the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan will be under the MCO again for two weeks. , from 13 to January. 26. Kelantan was subsequently placed under the MCO as of January 16.
Malaysia has reported four-digit increases in daily COVID-19 cases for more than a month and Muhyiddin said the country’s health system is at a breaking point.
As of Tuesday, Malaysia has registered a total of 165,371 COVID-19 cases, of which 39,464 are considered infectious or active. There have also been 619 deaths.
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