Total number of Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia surpasses 3,000 mark
Total death toll now at over 3,000, patients requiring ICU treatment hit new high
PETALING JAYA The number of Covid-19 deaths in Malaysia has surpassed the 3,000 mark since the pandemic began last year, after 103 more deaths were recorded yesterday.
"The deaths today bring the total number of fatalities to 3,096," said health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah.
Nine were foreigners and 94 were locals, he added in a statement.
He also noted that the number of Covid-19 patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) treatment increased to a new high of 880, two more than the previous record reported on Wednesday.
Of the ICU cases, he said 446 required ventilator assistance.
CHILDREN
He said the number of children under five years of age dying of Covid-19 or requiring ICU treatment has increased drastically this year compared with last year.
"We have received several questions on the statistics of death and critical cases among children.
"A total of three Covid-related deaths involving children below five were reported in 2020.
"However, the same number of deaths were recorded in a shorter time span, that is, three deaths in the first five months of 2021, " Dr Noor Hisham said.
He added that eight children were admitted to the ICU last year, of whom six were under five years old.
"Comparatively, this year, a total of 27 children needed ICU treatment (of whom) 19 were below five."
He advised parents and caregivers to play a more important role in protecting children and babies who have lower immunity against Covid-19.
"Build a safe environment for them by fully following standard operating procedures and get (the adults in the household) vaccinated as soon as possible," he said.
Malaysia recorded 8,209 cases yesterday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 595,374 cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said Selangor continued to have the most cases with 3,125 infections.
In a tweet yesterday, he said this was followed by Kuala Lumpur with 801 cases, Johor (752), Sarawak (594) and Negeri Sembilan (576).
LOCKDOWN
On Tuesday, Malaysia began the first day of a two-week lockdown.
The full movement control order was imposed to flatten the infection curve.
Only essential economic and service sectors listed by the National Security Council were open, including wet markets and supermarkets, which are operating on shorter hours.
The government is also trying to speed up vaccination rates.
More than 3.1 million doses of a vaccine - the first and second doses - had been administered as at Tuesday.
The government is aiming to achieve herd immunity by inoculating 80 per cent of its population, or 26.7 million people. - THE STAR, REUTERS
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