PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s COVID-19 daily cases, number of deaths, bed utilization capacity in hospitals and Intensive Care Units (ICU) continue to show a declining trend in the 41st Epidemiology Week (ME) following the increase in the rate of vaccinations nationwide.
Director General of Health, Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said, the positive trend makes the planned reopening of various sectors through safely reopening initiative more convincing.
Dr. Noor Hisham said, in the 41st ME from 10th Oct. until 16th Oct. 2021, the new COVID-19 cases showed a decrease of 17.9 per cent from 63,722 cases (40th ME) to 52,321 cases (41st ME). However the number of new COVID-19 cases in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur began to show a horizontal trend.
He added, the average active cases showed a decrease of 21.0 per cent from 133,450 cases (40th ME) to 105,497 cases (41st ME). Death cases showed a decrease of 15.3 per cent from 700 cases (40th ME) to 593 cases (41st ME).
“Cases requiring treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) showed a 12.0 per cent decrease from 778 cases (40th ME) to 684 cases (41st ME). Cases requiring respiratory assistance showed a decrease of 11.9 per cent from 331 cases (40th ME) to 292 cases (41st ME) and the value of R T remained stable around the value of 0.80 – 0.90,” Dr. Noor Hisham said in a statement here yesterday (19th Oct.2021).
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), until 16 Oct. 2021, a total of 25,079,220 individuals have registered for the COVID-19 vaccination. A total of 91.5 per cent of the adult population had received a complete COVID-19 vaccine injection. Meanwhile, 67.8 per cent of the total population has received a complete COVID-19 vaccine injection.
The Director General of Health added, MOH has allocated 29,809 beds in the COVID-19 Low Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC), 15,653 regular ward beds, 1,400 ICU ward beds, and 2,863 breathing aids to treat COVID-19 patients, suspected cases, probabilities, and internal cases.
However, he said, the use of beds in PKRC and wards as well as breathing aids showed a downward trend of around one to three per cent in the 41st ME compared to 40th ME.
“Although the current development of COVID-19 continues to show a declining trend, MOH would like to remind the community to remain self-disciplined. Each individual is responsible for maintaining their health, family, and the surrounding community.
“The initiative of conducting a self-test is highly encouraged when an individual is symptomatic and/or before travelling home to protect others around. Improve TRIIS (test, report, isolate, inform, and seek) self-assessment,” Dr. Noor Hisham said.
Dr. Noor Hisham emphasized that MOH will always be ready for any possible case spike in the future. Among others is by setting up a National Rapid Response Task Force that will be deployed to states facing a surge in COVID-19 cases.
This task force said Dr. Noor Hisham, will conduct a risk assessment and recommend appropriate strategies such as increasing hospital capacity, mobilization of health personnel resources, and appropriate public health actions in the affected states or areas.
He added, through this method, faster and more efficient preparations can be provided in the areas that have been identified and subsequently COVID-19 cases can be controlled from further increasing. – Malaysia World News
