Only 2.2 per cent of new COVID-19 cases in categories three, four and five

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28  -- Only 2.2 per cent or 247 of the 11,332 new COVID-19 cases reported in Malaysia today were in categories three, four and five, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the remaining 11,085 cases or 97.8 per cent were in categories one and two for asymptomatic and mild cases respectively.

Patients in category three have pneumonia, category four need oxygen supplementation and category five require respiratory aid.

"Of the new cases, 23 were imported involving 18 Malaysians and five foreigners while 11,309 were local transmissions involving 10,475 Malaysians and 834 foreigners.

"A total of 14,160 cases had also recovered today, bringing the cumulative figure for recoveries to 2,020,099 or 91 per cent of the total number of COVID-19 cases," he said in a statement today.

He said 986 cases were being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), comprising 848 confirmed cases and 138 which were suspected and under investigation.

He said 574 patients require ventilators, with 369 cases being positive for COVID-19 and 205 were suspected cases under investigation.

Dr Noor Hisham also said 15 new clusters were detected, with nine in the community and six at workplaces.

On the COVID-19 infectivity rate or R-naught (Rt), he said the rate for the whole country based on daily infections yesterday was 0.90 while Pahang was the state with the highest value at 1.0.  

Other states registered Rt of below 1.0, with Perlis and Putrajaya each at 0.99; Kelantan, Perak, Terengganu and Melaka each 0.97; Sarawak and Johor each 0.93; Penang (0.90); Selangor and Negeri Sembilan each 0.88; Sabah (0.86); Kedah (0.85); Kuala Lumpur (0.84); and Labuan (zero).

Dr Noor Hisham said data on deaths would be uploaded on the Github and https://covidnow.moh.gov.my COVIDNOW websites at midnight tonight.

-- BERNAMA