Exactly a year ago, on May 25, the nation reported a total of 7,417 Covid-19 cases. Today, the daily number is almost equal to that.

The daily number a year ago was just 172 cases, and that included a spike at immigration department depots. The death toll was at 115 with no new deaths recorded.

Fast forward 12 months later and two iterations of the movement control order, Malaysia today recorded a record high of 7,289 cases in the past 24 hours.

Sixty deaths were also reported.

On the same day last year, a total of 34 patients were also discharged from hospital, which brought the total number of recoveries to 5,979.

Today, 3,789 patients were discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 460,062.

Last year, there were 1,323 active cases, with eight being treated in intensive care and four requiring respiratory assistance.

Today, the situation is critical. The number of those in ICUs have since surged to 726, while those in need of respiratory assistance have rocketed to 373.

Add to that, just nine days ago, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the utilisation rate of ICUs in government hospitals nationwide was at 80%.

In Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Penang, Sarawak, Kedah and Perak, the rate is even higher and with some hospitals now at full capacity, some are even being forced to use normal wards and operating theatres as ICUs.