Health DG sounds warning as national Rt rate shoots up 11 per cent

 

A surge in workplace and education institution-related clusters, among others, has sparked a worrying increase in the national Covid-19 infectivity rate, or Rt, which has shot up 11 per cent since Nov 1. - NSTP/AIZUDDIN SAAD

KUALA LUMPUR: A surge in workplace and education institution-related clusters, among others, has sparked a worrying increase in the national Covid-19 infectivity rate, or Rt, which has shot up 11 per cent since Nov 1.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the Rt rate, which was at 0.96 at the beginning of the month, is now at 1.05, and has remained that way for the past three days.

This had also pushed the figures from 35,303 cases in the 44th epidemiology week (Oct 31 to Nov 6) to 39,131 cases in the 45th week (Nov 7 till 13).

A total of 5,840 clusters have been reported as of November 13, with 278 active clusters and 98 clusters having ended between Nov 7 till 13.

The number of active clusters had declined by 17 per cent, from 335 clusters to 278 clusters, compared to previous weeks.

However, Dr Noor Hisham noted that the number of workplace-related Covid-19 clusters have increased by 33 per cent, with 24 workplace clusters recorded in the 45th epidemiology week.

"Workplace clusters, which had been showing a decline since the 37th week, have now begun to increase again in the 45th week.

"The dominance of workplace clusters are expected to continue to increase if there is still no strict compliance of the standard operating procedures (SOP) practised by employers on employees," he said in a statement today.

Education institution-related clusters have increased by 57.1 per cent while high-risk clusters had increased by 100 per cent.

He said community-linked clusters however have decreased by 50 per cent while religious activities clusters have decreased by 100 per cent as well.

There has been no change in the situation involving detention centre and imported cases clusters, he said.

"Nationwide, the number of Covid-19 patients treated in health facilities have been on the rise compared to during the 44th epidemiology week.

"While there has been no significant increase in the number of patients in Category 1 and 2, there was however a rise in Category 3, 4 and 5 patients.

"The increase in these three categories involved all states except for Perlis, Perak, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Johor," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said there has been a declining trend in cumulative active cases, which has shown a five per cent consistent decline over the last 10 weeks.

"The death rate had also declined by 1.3 per cent, cases requiring intensive care unit (ICU) treatment declined by two per cent, while cases requiring respiratory assistance decreased by 13.2 per cent," he said in a statement today.

He said data also showed that bed usage in ICU wards had increased by one per cent. There was a one per cent decrease regular bed usage for Covid-19 cases as well as at the Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centres (PKRC). - NST