Although four-digit new Covid-19 cases are still being reported daily in the country, it is a relief to note that they have remained under 2,000 continuously for nearly two weeks.
Over the 24-hour period up to noon yesterday, 1,213 new infections were reported nationwide by the Health Ministry.
On Tuesday (March 16), 1,063 new cases were reported – the lowest number since Dec 9 last year.
The daily breakdown of infections reported this week (March 13-18) is as follows: 1,470 (March 13); 1,354 (March 14); 1,208 (March 15); 1,063 (March 16); 1,219 (March 17); and 1,213 (yesterday).
With yesterday’s 1,213 new cases, Malaysia’s cumulative total stood at 328,466. Active cases, meanwhile, dipped below 15,000 to 14,782. Just last month on Feb 10, active cases stood at a hefty 52,186, which was the highest number ever recorded by Malaysia.
Malaysia remains at the 45th spot in a list of 216 countries affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Just ahead of Malaysia are Slovakia (344,470 cases), Panama (349,020), and Saudi Arabia (383,499).
Yesterday, 1,503 patients were discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 312,461 (95.1 percent of total Covid-19 cases).
The daily breakdown of recoveries recorded this week is as follows:
1,830 cases (March 13); 1,782 (March 14); 1,973 (March 15); 1,365 (March 16); 1,346 (March 17); and 1,503 (March 18).
Yesterday, meanwhile, marked one year since the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) on March 18, 2020. On that day, the nation recorded 117 new infections, with total cases numbering 790.
Malaysia’s first three 2019-nCoV (later renamed Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation) cases involved Chinese citizens who entered the country through Johor from Singapore on Jan 23, 2020.
Other developments nationwide
As of yesterday, 12 districts in Peninsular Malaysia were declared green zones, namely Kubang Pasu, Padang Terap, Langkawi, and Yan in Kedah; Kampar and Hulu Perak in Perak; Jelebu and Jempol in Negeri Sembilan; Gua Musang in Kelantan; Hulu Terengganu in Terengganu; as well as Raub and Cameron Highlands in Pahang.
As for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, the following number of people have been administered the first dose of the vaccine in the various states and federal territories as of March 17:
Perlis 8,795; Kedah 25,492; Penang 22,037; Perak 42,227; Selangor 45,854; Kuala Lumpur 33,500; Putrajaya 4,611; Negeri Sembilan 15,958; Melaka 9,954; Kelantan 17,904; Terengganu 15,726; Pahang 26,574; Johor 27,131; Sabah 36,443; Labuan 2,342; and Sarawak 32,665.
The total number of people who have been vaccinated is 367,213.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah wrote on Facebook yesterday that the Covid-19 infectivity rate for the whole nation remained at 0.87. State-wise, Terengganu recorded the highest R0 value at 1.11 while the lowest was recorded by Negeri Sembilan at 0.63.
Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Penang, and Kelantan are currently under a conditional MCO from March 19 to 31. Sarawak is under conditional MCO from March 16 to 29.
Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Putrajaya, Labuan, Sabah, and Malacca are under a recovery MCO.
Inter-district travel is allowed in all the states (except Sabah and Sarawak) but interstate travel is still restricted.
Malaysia is also under emergency rule starting Jan 12 up to August this year.
Workplace, detention centre clusters
As of yesterday, Malaysia recorded 1,276 Covid-19 clusters, out of which 848 have ended. There are currently 428 active clusters, 66 of which reported new cases.
The clusters that reported a substantial number of new cases yesterday were the Semuja Immigration Depot cluster (99 cases), Jalan Wawasan Sembilan cluster (47 cases), and Jalan Harapan Prison cluster (32 cases).
Yesterday, nine new clusters were reported with five of them linked to workplaces, three community, and one detention centre (Semuja Immigration Depot).
The Semuja cluster involves the Serian district in Sarawak and has so far reported 99 cases.
On March 17, the Health Ministry reported the Muhasabah Tembok cluster involving a detention centre in Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan. Out of the 225 individuals screened, 49 tested positive.
Also reported on the same day was the Andromeda cluster involving the foreign crew of a dredger from Singapore in Muar, Johor. Out of the 44 individuals screened, six were found positive.
The Subang Dua workplace cluster reported on March 17 has so far recorded 153 cases, following targeted screening of workers at a factory along Jalan Subang Dua, Taman Perindustrian Subang in the Petaling district of Selangor.
Covid-19 case details nationwide
Selangor continues to be the top “contributor” to Covid-19 cases in the country. Out of the 1,213 new cases announced yesterday, Selangor accounted for the highest number at 353.
It also reported two new workplace clusters, namely the Persiaran Sunsuria construction site cluster and the Persiaran Setia construction site cluster. Selangor’s cumulative total cases stood at 110,550.
Sarawak is also continuing to record three-digit new cases. Yesterday it reported 303 new cases and two new clusters, the Sungai Atap cluster (community) and Semuja Immigration Depot cluster.
Johor reported 142 new infections and one new workplace cluster yesterday (Jalan Wawasan Sembilan cluster); Penang 104 cases; Kuala Lumpur 79 cases; Negeri Sembilan 23 cases; Perak 39 cases and one new workplace cluster, Jalan Asuhan cluster.
Sabah reported 73 cases and two new clusters, the Kampung Padang Tembak cluster (community) and Melamam cluster (workplace); Kedah had 38 cases and one new cluster, the Bunga Tanjung Bendahara cluster (community); Kelantan had 20 cases; Terengganu 15 cases; Pahang 14 cases; Melaka eight; and Labuan eight.
Three deaths were reported yesterday, bringing Malaysia’s Covid-19 death toll to 1,223 (0.37 percent of total cases).
155 patients are currently being treated in intensive care units with 54 requiring respiratory aid.
Global Covid-19 statistics
The total number of Covid-19 cases worldwide, according to Worldometer, at the time of writing this article stood at 121,938,222 (119,109,202 cases at the same time last Friday) and deaths 2,694,904 (2,641,683 last Friday). The total number of recoveries stood at 98,274,632.
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, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Germany. The breakdown is as follows:
United States 30,358,880 cases (552,470 deaths), Brazil 11,787,600 (287,795), India 11,513,945 (159,405), Russia 4,428,239 (93,824), United Kingdom 4,280,882 (125,926), France 4,181,607 (91,679), Italy 3,306,711 (103,855), Spain 3,212,332 (72,910), Turkey 2,950,603 (29,777) and Germany 2,628,629 (74,878).
China, where the outbreak was first reported in December 2019, is now on the 87th spot in the list of countries affected by Covid-19 with 90,083 cases, while its death toll remained at 4,636.
Besides Malaysia, three other Southeast Asian nations have joined the list of 83 countries with more than 100,000 cases: Indonesia (18th) with 1,443,853 cases and 39,142 deaths, the Philippines (30th) with 640,984 cases and 12,887 deaths, and Myanmar (78th) with 142,212 cases and 3,204 deaths.
Singapore (100th) has reported 60,152 cases and 30 deaths; Thailand 27,494 cases and a death toll of 89; Vietnam 2,570 cases and 35 deaths; and Cambodia 1,541 cases with one fatality.
Brunei’s tally stands at 203 cases and three deaths, while Laos’ cases increased to 49 with no deaths.
Covid-19 background
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s website, its 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 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. By then, it had spread to 18 countries and caused 170 deaths. On March 11, 2020, Covid-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO.
WHO has described the Covid-19 outbreak as much more dangerous than the A H1N1 Influenza, also known as Swine Flu.
The Swine Flu outbreak, which occurred between January 2009 and August 2010, infected more than 1.6 million people and caused 18,449 fatalities.
The International Monetary Fund has warned that the global economic recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will be worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s.
- Bernama
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