PUTRAJAYA — No COVID-19 fatalities were reported in Malaysia today, keeping the death toll at 108 or 1.62 per cent of the total number of positive cases, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said the new cases reported showed a slight increase at 67 compared to yesterday, with 49 cases being detected among foreigners.
“This brings the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Malaysia to 6,656. The number of active COVID-19 cases with infectivity is 1,523 cases. They have been isolated for treatment,” he said in his daily COVID-19 media briefing here today.
He said the number of patients who have recovered daily continued to outstrip new cases with 96 being discharged today to bring the cumulative figure of recoveries to 5,025.
Dr Noor Hisham said 18 patients are still being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with six requiring ventilator support.
Asked on the four-week extension of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) to June 9, Dr Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry (MOH) welcomed the move.
“It will continue to give space to the government to curb the spread of COVID-19 to a more controllable level, while balancing the opening of economic sectors cautiously. The level of effectiveness of this action will be evaluated from time to time. MOH will intensify efforts to reduce positive COVID-19 cases in Malaysia through active case detection and a targeted approach, that is detection, screening and testing of high-risk target groups,” he added.
He said this action could be undertaken more effectively with the implementation of CMCO and Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
Dr Noor Hisham said the targeted approach of conducting activities had resulted in the detection of more COVID-19 cases and that MOH had identified several target groups.
He said they included participants of an assembly in Sri Petaling and their close contacts, the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market, nursing homes for the elderly, and Malaysians who were placed at quarantine centres on returning from overseas.
“The people should not be worried about the rise in new cases following the government’s aggressive and proactive targeted approach because it shows the effectiveness of the activities undertaken.
“The cases detected were isolated and treated at hospitals to ensure that the COVID-19 virus did not continue to spread in the community,” he added.
— BERNAMA
