KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has reported an increase in admissions to the Intensive Care Units (ICU) and patients requiring ventilators in the past seven days, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.
At the weekly Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) press conference today, Dr Adham said during epidemiology Week 23, an average 905 ICU cases were reported, an increase of 3.9 per cent compared to the previous week.
He also said 454 patients on average required respiratory aid through ventilators. This, he said, was a 4.1 per cent increase from Week 22.
"As of June 12, 914 patients were warded in the ICU, and 459 (50.2 per cent) ICU patients required ventilators. An increase in this has been observed for the past 12 weeks since epidemiology Week 11," he said.
Dr Adham said the ministry also reported an average 79 Covid-19 deaths per day, after logging a total 553 deaths in the past week.
While the number of average active cases had recorded a slight decrease of 0.6 per cent in Week 23, the number of Covid-19 tests conducted nationwide had also lessened by 11.7 per cent compared to Week 22.
He said in the past seven days, Malaysia reported 76,247 active cases as of June 12, representing 11.7 per cent of the total cumulative cases reported in the country.
Last week, 629,894 tests were conducted, with an average of 89,985 tests per day.
"The test positivity rate is at 6.6 per cent for Week 23, which is a 0.7 per cent decrease compared to Week 22.
"Our infectivity rate, or Rt is currently at 0.90, and it has been reducing since May 29.
"An Rt value of 1 and above indicates the potential for continued transmission and a resurgence of cases," he explained.