By Aina Mardhia Ismail
GOMBAK, 14 January 2021: Malaysia recorded a new spike of COVID-19 cases with 3,337, seven cases being imported, while the rest are locally transmitted, as at 12 noon today on the second day the country undergoing Emergency.
The states under the movement control order (MCO) registered at least 200 new cases respectively; the highest is Selangor with 1,036 cases, Johor with 460 cases, Sabah with 389 cases, Kuala Lumpur, 257 cases, and Pulau Pinang with 234 cases.
According to the Director-General of Health, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the country’s current COVID-19 cases stood at 33,989 with a total of 195 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and 86 needing ventilators.
There were 1,710 recovery cases which contributed to 76.6 percent or 113,288 total recovered patients from the pandemic.
Dr. Noor Hisham added that there were 15 fatalities recorded, increasing the death toll to 578, of which 11 out of 15 deaths suffered from chronic health such as diabetes.
According to the Ministry of Health, Malaysia’s cumulative COVID-19 cases tally now stands at 147,855.
The country is currently going through a second MCO to reduce the country’s COVID-19 cases and people have been urged to comply for a swab test if they are exposed to positive cases for contact tracing.
“It is crucial to carry out close contact tracing for those who are exposed to COVID-19 positive cases to prevent infection immediately,” said Dr. Noor Hisham on Twitter.
He stated that close contacts are those who are exposed to positive cases less than a distance of one meter.
The public has been advised to practise the 3Ws (Wash, Wear and Warm), avoid 3Cs (Crowded Places, Confined spaces and Close conversation) while complying with the standard operating procedure (SOPs) of the new norm. ***