PUTRAJAYA, May 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) — Thirty-seven new positive COVID-19 cases were reported in Malaysia today, bringing the cumulative total to 6,978 cases, including 1,218 which are active, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“Two of the 37 new confirmed patients are imported cases while 35 are local transmissions, 22 of whom are foreigners,” he told a daily news conference on COVID-19 here today.
He said 31 cases had recovered and were discharged today, bringing the cumulative figure for recoveries to 5,646, or 80.9 per cent of the total number of positive cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said one more fatality was reported, bringing the death toll to 114, or 1.63 per cent of the total number of cases.
The latest fatality was case 6,942, a 77-year-old Malaysian woman with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and liver cancer who was admitted to a medical centre in Pahang and was confirmed to have died at 3.09 am yesterday.
Dr Noor Hisham said 11 cases are still being treated at the Intensive Care Unit, including six who require ventilator support.
Asked on the standard operating procedure (SOP) for shopping centres during the coming festivals, he expressed concern that some people were still taking the matter lightly and openly violating the guidelines.
“We should be reminded that although the number of reported COVID-19 cases is dropping, the threat of infection still exists in the community. Therefore, we should protect ourselves, our family and the community from COVID-19 infection,” he added.
He also advised the people to avoid shopping in crowded and cramped places where social distancing is difficult to be practised.