PUTRAJAYA: A total of 170 new cases of COVID-19 and one more death have been reported in the country as at noon today, bringing the total number of positive cases to 3,963, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said the latest fatality brought the death toll to 63, or 1.59 per cent of the total number of cases.
“The 63rd death (case 3,794) involved a 71-year-old Malaysian man from Perlis. Records show that he attended a religious assembly in Sulawesi, Indonesia from March 17 to 24.
“He was admitted to Hospital Enche’ Besar Hjh Kalsom, Johor on April 5 and was confirmed to have died at 11 pm yesterday,” he told a daily media briefing on COVID-19 at the Health Ministry here today.
Dr Noor Hisham said 80 more patients have recovered and were discharged today, bringing the cumulative number of full recoveries to 1,321, or 33.33 per cent of the total number of cases.
He said 92 cases were being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), including 50 who were on ventilators.
In conjunction with World Health Day today, Dr Noor Hisham expressed his appreciation to all medical and health personnel, especially the frontliners, from the government and private sectors, voluntary bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
“(My) appreciation also goes to workers behind the scene who play an important role as the backbone in ensuring the preparedness and swift response required in the field.
“Truly, health is our joint responsibility because every sector is a health sector,” he added.
He said every sector has its respective critical role to play in managing and containing the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Dr Noor Hisham said that in this critical situation, the frontliners and the personnel behind the scene were working hard and joining forces to stop the spread of the deadly disease.
— BERNAMA
