Covid-19: 55 new cases, 71 recoveries and no deaths

CORONAVIRUS | Malaysia recorded 55 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to 6,353, according to Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Seven of the new cases were imported while 48 were local transmissions.

Half of the local transmissions were detected within the enhanced movement control order (MCO) areas.

According to the Health Ministry's data, the bulk of local transmissions were from Bandar Baru Utara, Selayang and the surrounding area of the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market which are still under an enhanced movement control order (MCO).

The area recorded 21 new Covid-19 cases. 17 of those cases were from outside the enhanced MCO area.

The next largest cluster of new infections was from the Chow Kit market in Kuala Lumpur where 16 new local transmissions were found. The area is not under an enhanced MCO.

The other new local transmissions are from the Sendayan cluster (5), Kampung Baru cluster (2), Selangor Mansion cluster (2), Malayan Mansion cluster (1), and Madrasah Ayer Merbau cluster (1).

Noor Hisham (photo) also reported there were no new deaths since noon yesterday. The death toll remains unchanged at 105.

He said another 71 patients have also recovered from Covid-19, putting the total recoveries at 4,484 or 70.6 percent.

There are 1,764 patients still undergoing treatment and of this, 28 are in the intensive care unit (ICU), up from 27 yesterday.

Of the Covid-19 patients in ICU, 13 need ventilators to breathe, the same as yesterday.

Noor Hisham noted that the government has decided to reopen the economy today under a conditional MCO and urged the public to comply with the Health Ministry's guidelines.

"As long as Malaysians abide by the new norm in their daily lives, the chain of Covid-19 infection can be broken," he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.

Noor Hisham also encouraged the public to download the MySejahtera app which helps a user to conduct a self-assessment on their health.

He said the MySejahtera app can also inform users about Covid-19 hotspots near them and also the nearest Covid-19 screening facility.

"The Health Ministry encourages all Malaysians as well as non-citizens in the country to download the MySejahtera app to conduct a self-assessment to know their risk level towards Covid-19," he said.

He added that the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry had also unveiled a contact tracing app called "MyTrace" which will complement the MySejahtera app.

"MyTrace does not collect a user's geolocation data but instead record the Bluetooth log when they are near to other users," he said.

Noor Hisham said contact tracing is important if someone has come in contact with someone who had been infected with Covid-19.

Noor Hisham also reiterated that the battle against Covid-19 will be a long one and urged everyone to be socially responsible by practising social distancing and good hygiene.