Malaysia's COVID-19 Weekly Round-Up: Death Toll Creeps Past 10,000

By Melati Mohd Ariff This is a round-up of COVID-19 related matters in Malaysia and globally from July 31 up to noon today. In Malaysia, case numbers have exceeded 1.2 million and globally, the virus has infected more than 201 million people and caused over 4.2 million deaths. More than 216 countries and territories are affected by the pandemic. KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 6 (Bernama) – Malaysia reported another set of grim figures Thursday. Daily new COVID-19 infections reached a new high of over 20,000 while cumulative fatalities hit five figures. There was a surge in cases in six states Thursday – Selangor (8,549), Kuala Lumpur (2,163), Kedah (1,446), Johor (1,300), Sabah (1,062) and Penang (1,022) – and they accounted for 15,542 or 75.5 percent of the 20,596 new cases reported nationwide yesterday. As of yesterday, Malaysia’s cumulative COVID-19 cases stood at 1,203,706 and active cases 217,071. Over the 24-hour period up to noon yesterday, another 164 fatalities due to COVID-19 were recorded, bringing the death toll to 10,019 (0.83 percent of total cases). On Wednesday (Aug 4), 257 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported – the highest ever single-day figure since the start of the pandemic. The daily breakdown of new cases reported during the week under review (July 31 to Aug 5) is as follows: July 31 (17,786), Aug 1 (17,150), Aug 2 (15,764), Aug 3 (17,105), Aug 4 (19,819) and Aug 5 (20,596). As of yesterday, there were 1,177 active clusters nationwide. So far, Malaysia has recorded a total of 3,829 clusters, out of which 2,652 have ended. Based on the Ministry of Health’s daily COVID-19 reports, a total of 178 new clusters has emerged this week, with most of them linked to the workplace and community. Eighty-three (46.6 percent) were workplace clusters while 77 (43.2 percent) were community clusters. As of yesterday, 1,078 COVID-19 patients were being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), with 549 requiring respiratory assistance. Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in his personal Facebook account yesterday that the number of patients admitted to hospitals in the Klang Valley was rising in line with the spike in cases in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. He said in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, a total of 6,427 COVID-19 patients were currently being treated in hospitals while another 2,685 were in low-risk COVID-19 quarantine and treatment centres and 659 in the ICU. Patient admissions into Klang Valley hospitals have now gone up by more than 33 percent compared to the period two weeks ago. More than 1,000 patients are being hospitalised every day. With Malaysia’s 1,203,706 total cases, it now stood at the 27th spot (29th spot last Friday) in the list of 216 nations struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just ahead of Malaysia are Bangladesh (1,322,654 cases) and Canada (1,436,182 cases). OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NATION Meanwhile, effective Aug 4, Perlis, Sarawak and Labuan shifted to the third phase of the National Recovery Plan and movement control, as announced by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Aug 2. Thursday, he said he would announce in two days the easing of movement restrictions and privileges for those who have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Speaking to reporters after visiting a mobile COVID-19 vaccination centre at Felda Lenga in Pagoh, Johor, the prime minister said the privileges comprised interstate and inter-district travel to visit parents or spouses. The easing of restrictions may also include the social sector, thus giving the green light to dining in restaurants and participating in sporting and recreation activities. Meanwhile, the Greater Klang Valley Special Task Force has taken several initiatives to enhance the capacity of hospitals providing COVID-19 treatment. According to Health deputy director-general (Public Health) Dr Chong Chee Kheong, this facility is available at 29 public hospitals, 51 private hospitals and two low-risk COVID-19 quarantine and treatment centres. The public hospitals concerned include four full COVID-19 hospitals, namely Hospital Ampang, Hospital Selayang, Hospital Serdang and Hospital Sungai Buloh. The state by state breakdown of new cases reported yesterday is as follows: Selangor 8,549, Kuala Lumpur 2,163, Kedah 1,446, Johor 1,300, Sabah 1,062, Penang 1,022, Negeri Sembilan 989, Perak 916, Kelantan 772, Sarawak 759, Melaka 622, Terengganu 501, Pahang 426, Putrajaya 50, Labuan 15 and Perlis four. The daily COVID-19 infectivity rate or R0/Rt value from July 31 to Aug 5, according to Dr Noor Hisham’s Facebook posting, is as follows: July 31 (1.10), Aug 1 (1.08), Aug 2 (1.07), Aug 3 (1.07), Aug 4 (1.07) and Aug 5 (1.08). The states that recorded the highest R0/Rt values on Aug 4 were Kelantan 1.29, Perak 1.23 and Penang 1.21. MALAYSIA’S COVID-19 SCENARIO (JULY 31-AUG 5) Following is the daily breakdown of recovered cases: July 31 (11,718), Aug 1 (11,326), Aug 2 (11,767), Aug 3 (12,297), Aug 4 (12,704) and Aug 5 (13,894). Following is the daily breakdown of new cases, local transmissions and imported cases: July 31 – new cases 17,786; local transmissions 17,777 (15,151 or 85.2 percent Malaysian citizens); imported nine; Aug 1 – new cases 17,150; local transmissions 17,149 (14,443 or 84.2 percent citizens); imported one; Aug 2 – new cases 15,764; local transmissions 15,758 (13,224 or 83.9 percent citizens); imported six; Aug 3 – new cases 17,105; local transmissions 17,068 (14,688 or 86.1 percent citizens); imported 37; Aug 4 – new cases 19,819; local transmissions 19,796 (16,770 or 84.7 percent citizens); imported 23; and Aug 5 – new cases 20,596; local transmissions 20,562 (17,021 or 82.8 percent citizens); imported 34. The daily breakdown in fatalities is as follows: July 31 – 165 (Malaysian citizens 155, brought in dead or BID cases 12; Aug 1 – 160 (citizens 140, BID 20; Aug 2 – 219 (citizens 201, BID 21); Aug 3 – 195 (citizens 173, BID 34); Aug 4 – 257 (citizens 226, BID 21); and Aug 5 – 164 (citizens 150, BID 22). The BID cases refer to deaths that occurred outside healthcare facilities, with the bodies testing positive for COVID-19 after RT-PCR tests were carried out. Following is the daily breakdown of new clusters reported: July 31 – 28 (workplace 13, community 12, religious one, high-risk group one and detention centre one); Aug 1 – 23 (workplace 11, community eight, high-risk group two, education one and detention centre one); Aug 2 – 29 (workplace 13, community 11, high-risk group three, education one and religious one); Aug 3 – 30 (workplace 14, community 14 and high-risk group two); Aug 4 – 35 (community 20, workplace 14 and religious one); and Aug 5 – 33 (workplace 18, community 12, detention centre two and high-risk group one). GLOBAL COVID-19 STATISTICS The total number of COVID-19 cases worldwide, according to Worldometer, at the time of writing this article stood at 201,697,453 (197,527,098 cases at the same time last Friday) and deaths 4,280,362 (4,218,245 last Friday). The total number of recoveries stood at 181,448,797. Some 216 countries are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and those in the top 10 of the list are the United States, India, Brazil, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Argentina, Colombia and Spain. The breakdown is as follows: United States 36,301,744 cases (631,879 deaths); India 31,855,783 (426,785); Brazil 20,066,587 (560,801); Russia 6,379,904 (162,509); France 6,233,876 (112,098); United Kingdom 5,982,581 (130,086); Turkey 5,846,784 (51,875); Argentina 4,989,402 (107,023); Colombia 4,821,603 (121,899); and Spain 4,566,571 (81,931). China, where the outbreak was first reported at end-December 2019, is now at the 107th spot in the list of countries affected by COVID-19 with 93,398 cases while its death toll remained at 4,636. Besides Malaysia, the five other Southeast Asian nations that have joined the list of 105 countries with more than 100,000 cases are Indonesia (14th spot) with 3,568,331 cases and 102,375 deaths), the Philippines (23th spot) with 1,627,816 cases and 28,427 deaths, Thailand (39th spot) with 714,684 cases and 5,854 deaths, Myanmar (67th spot) with 319,250 cases and 10,988 deaths, and Vietnam (86th spot) with 189,066 cases and 2,720 Cambodia (110th spot) has reported 80,225 cases and 1,507; Singapore (114th spot) 65,508 cases and 40 deaths; Laos 7,511 cases and seven deaths; and Brunei 339 cases and three deaths. COVID-19 BACKGROUND The World Health Organisation’s China country office was informed of cases of pneumonia that were detected in Wuhan on Dec 31, 2019. On Jan 7, the Chinese authorities confirmed that the newly detected novel coronavirus can be transmitted from human to human. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-COV). A study of the virus’ genetic sequence suggested similarities to that seen in snakes and bats. China health officials identified the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan as the source of the transmission of the coronavirus. On Feb 11, 2020, WHO announced the official name of the virus, COVID-19, which is an acronym for coronavirus 2019 – CO stands for corona, VI for virus and D for disease. On Jan 30, 2020, WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global emergency and on March 11, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. WHO has described the COVID-19 outbreak as much more dangerous than the A H1N1 Influenza, also known as Swine Flu. Swine Flu, which occurred between January 2009 and August 2010, infected more than 1.6 million people and caused 18,449 fatalities. It was first detected in Mexico and later in the United States in March 2009. COVID-19 was detected in Malaysia on Jan 25, 2020, when three Chinese citizens, who had entered Malaysia through Johore from Singapore on Jan 23, were tested positive for the disease. New variants of the COVID-19 coronavirus have since emerged in the United Kingdom (identified as B117) in September 2020, South Africa (501Y.V2) in October 2020 and India (B.1.617), also in October last year. Translated by Rema Nambiar -- BERNAMA