KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia recorded 2,305 Covid-19 cases from Nov 12 to Nov 18, demonstrating a 28 per cent uptick from the previous week.
Sarawak topped the list with 143 reported cases, followed by Selangor (136), Kuala Lumpur (119), Melaka (117), Johor (59), Kedah (52), Penang (37), Terengganu (24), Sabah (23), Kelantan (21), Negeri Sembilan (16), Perlis (12), Perak and Putrajaya (9, respectively), and Pahang (8).
The Health Ministry, in a statement today, said that during the 46th epidemiological week (Nov 12 to Nov 18), the admission rate for Covid-19 patients, including suspected patients, declined to 2 out of every 100,000.
"ICU bed occupancy rate was marked at 0.4 per cent, and non-critical Covid-19 bed occupancy was at 0.7 per cent.
"As of now, the Covid-19 situation remains under control," said the ministry.
MOH said 21 new Omicron variant cases were reported, consisting of 20 Variant of Concern (VOC) cases and one Variant of Interest (VOI) case.
"Up to now, there are a cumulative 785 cases of currently circulating VOI (XBB.1.16, XBB.1.5, and EG.5) with 783 local cases and two imported cases," MOH said.
Until Nov 11, the results of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) surveillance activities for Covid-19 at sentinel locations nationwide found 61 ILI samples testing positive for Covid-19 with a positive rate of 7 per cent.
Meanwhile, 69 SARI samples with a positive rate of 3 per cent were recorded from Nov 5 to Nov 11.
The ministry encouraged Malaysians to undergo booster dose administration to mitigate the risk of hospitalisation and experiencing severe Covid-19 symptoms.
"As of Oct 31, 2023, only 50.1 per cent of Malaysians have received their first booster dose, with only 2.5 per cent having received the second booster dose," it said.
The ministry expects a slight increase in Covid-19 cases due to gatherings during celebrations, and advised continued preventive measures.
Recommendations include regular handwashing, mask-wearing, testing, seeking antiviral treatment for positive cases, and getting vaccinated to reduce infection risks, especially for high-risk groups.