Recoveries outnumber new cases, another death reported
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says the latest victim is a 61-year-old man with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney cancer.
PUTRAJAYA: The health ministry has reported one new Covid-19 death, bringing the number of casualties to 116, while the number of recoveries outnumbered new cases in the last 24 hours.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest death involved a 61-year-old man with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney cancer.
Noor Hisham said there were 19 new cases – a sharp fall from the 277 reported yesterday – bringing the total to 8,266.
Twelve of the 19 new cases were local transmissions involving three foreigners and nine Malaysians, comprising a case from a tahfiz centre, two from Kuala Langat, two close contacts of a Covid-19 patient, three from a ferry terminal in Labuan and one from a home for the elderly in Melaka.
The other seven new cases were import cases involving five returnees who had flown in from Bangladesh and one each from Egypt and Qatar.
Noor Hisham said 43,763 foreigners had been screened to date, including 2,384 who tested positive. Four succumbed to the virus.
He said there were 51 recoveries, bringing the total number of those discharged to 6,610.
Six patients are still in the intensive care unit (ICU) with one needing respiratory assistance.
He also said a case had been detected each in the Pudu and Cheras apartment clusters, pushing the total to 79 and seven, respectively.
Asked if the ministry would make vaccination compulsory if one was found positive for Covid-19, Noor Hisham said there was a “big chance” they would do so.
“Such a policy would depend on the vaccine. And there is a huge possibility we will make it compulsory to use the vaccine,” he said, adding the effectiveness and side effects of the vaccine must be studied.
He said that currently, it was compulsory for those in the food industry to be vaccinated against typhoid.
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