PUTRAJAYA: No local Covid-19 cases were reported by the health ministry today, making it the first time local transmissions have reached zero since the second wave of the virus in Malaysia.
But there was one imported case, bringing the total number of cases to 8,640. This involved a 21-year-old Malaysian returning from Turkey.
In a press conference, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 21 patients have recovered, bringing the total number of patients discharged so far to 8,375, or 96.9% of total cases.
This means that the number of active cases is currently 144.
Four patients are currently being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), with two requiring respiratory assistance.
There were also no new Covid-19-related deaths. The death toll remains at 121.
Noor Hisham said the one case recorded today, the lowest since the second wave of infections on Feb 27, reflected the public’s strict practice of self-regulation and social responsibility.
However, he reiterated that the pandemic was still affecting other countries, saying another wave of infections could happen here if people became lax in adhering to the ministry’s instructions.
“The health ministry wants to stress once again that the cooperation of all parties is needed so that we can break the Covid-19 chain of infection in Malaysia,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Malaysia could continue notching zero local cases for the next 28 days, provided the public adhered to the government’s SOPs.
He said Putrajaya intended to open all sectors as the country further progressed through the recovery movement control order (RMCO), adding that the health ministry will be monitoring schools as they reopen on July 15.
Noor Hisham said the health ministry had identified the individuals under home quarantine who had failed to go for their second screening on the 13th day of their isolation.
“We will locate them and ask why they didn’t come. We have their data and we know where they are,” he said.
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