PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – Malaysia was still recording triple-digit cases, with 293 new Covid-19 infections on Sunday (Oct 4).

The total number on Sunday is slightly lower than 317 new infections on Saturday, which was a record high since the pandemic hit Malaysia in March.

Most of the new cases were recorded in Sabah and Kedah states.

The number brought total cumulative infections to 12,381 cases.

The Health Ministry’s director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said out of the 293 new cases, 292 were locally transmitted while one was imported.

Sabah again recorded the highest number of cases, at 131 infections followed by Kedah at 113 and Selangor (31).

Johor had eight new cases, Kuala Lumpur had three, Perak and Negeri Sembilan each had two, while Penang, Kelantan and Sarawak respectively had one new case each.

The death toll remains at 137 or 1.1 per cent of the total number of cases.

Dr Noor Hisham said 67 patients had recovered with a total of 10,283 recoveries made, or 83.05 per cent, of the overall number of cases since the Covid-19 outbreak began.

There are currently 1,961 active cases being treated at the country’s health facilities, with 28 patients in the intensive care units and four of them requiring ventilator support.

Meanwhile, a health official on Sunday told hospitals in Selangor to get ready to receive non-Covid-19 cases from the Sungai Buloh Hospital.

The 620-bed hospital is Malaysia’s main facility to treat new coronavirus patients.

In a letter on Friday, Selangor Health Department director Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman reminded all hospitals in the state to be prepared to take in non-Covid-19 patients from Sungai Buloh Hospital.

“This department has urged the Sungai Buloh Hospital to prepare for a change of status from ‘hybrid Covid-19 hospital’ to ‘full Covid-19 hospital’.

“We hope you will cooperate to ensure clinical services are not affected and operate smoothly,” Dr Sha’ari said as reported by a news site on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Kedah’s Alor Setar Prison has been placed under a targeted enhanced movement control order (or Temco) due to the recent spike of Covid-19 cases.

Senior Minister (Security) Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Temco will be in effect for 14 days from 12.01am on Tuesday.

“It will also involve the personnel quarters at the prison. The government has decided to do this based on the recommendations of the Health Minister,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

“Throughout the period, movement into and out of the prison is prohibited while family of inmates are not allowed to visit as well,” Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri said.

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