PUTRAJAYA: An additional four Covid-19 deaths were reported to the Health Ministry's Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) this evening, bringing the nationwide total to eight.
The ministry in a statement said the fifth death was a 79-year-old Malaysian woman who was warded at the Borneo Medical Centre on March 16 after suffering from fever and cough for five days.
"On the second day after admission, she suffered breathing difficulties, but her family refused to give permission for her to be put on ventilator support.
"She was brought home on March 17 and was confirmed dead on March 18. She has had contact with her son and daughter who were confirmed positive," read the statement.
The patient's daughter, a 40-year-old also died of the virus infection.
She was admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital on March 18 after suffering from fever and cough since March 7.
"She was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on March 19 and was given respiratory support on the same day when her health deteriorated by the day. She was confirmed dead at 1.20pm today.
"The seventh death case involved a 57-year-old Malaysian man who travelled to Vietnam and had contact with a positive Covid-19 case from the tabligh cluster.
"He was admitted to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on March 18, after showing symptoms of fever, cough and sore throat for a week. His condition deteriorated and needed ventilator support the next day. He was confirmed dead at 3.22pm today (March 21).”
The eighth death was a Malaysian man, aged 69, from the tabligh cluster.
"He was admitted to the Tumpat Hospital on March 16 after experiencing fever since March 12. He was transferred to Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Kota Baru, Kelantan on March 18, after his condition deteriorated and needed respiratory assistance the next day. He was confirmed dead at 4pm today.
"The ministry wishes to express condolences to the families of the deceased."
Several hours prior to the latest press release this evening, the ministry announced Malaysia’s fourth Covid-19 death, a 50-year-old man at the Melaka Hospital. He was from the tabligh gathering cluster. He was pronounced dead at 1.30am today.