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The infectivity rate of Covid-19 in Malaysia is reaching record highs again despite the lockdown. Today the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that the average R-Naught (Ro/Rt) in Malaysia on 9 July is 1.11, the second-highest recorded this year. 

When broken down into states, the Rt in Putrajaya is the highest at 1.19, followed by Perak at 1.17.

Selangor and Kuala Lumpur are tied at 1.16.

The news came in the shadows of yesterday’s record-breaking number of cases in Malaysia and Klang Valley. 

READ MORE: 9,180: New Record Of Daily Cases In Malaysia Today, Over 5,000 In Klang Valley

What does it mean?

On 27 May 2020, the Covid-19 infectivity rate was 1.14, the highest this year. However, it paled in comparison to last year, when Malaysia’s Rt peaked at 2.34 on 8 September 2020. On that day Malaysia recorded only 100 cases. 

At a glance, the Rt and number of cases may not make sense. How can the Rt on 8 September last year be so high and yet there were only 100 new cases, but the Rt on 9 July is 1.11 but there were 9,180 new cases?

An Rt of 1.11 means that for every 10 people that have Covid-19 an average of 11 more will get infected. So the Rt depends on the number of existing cases. 

As of 9 July, at noon, there are 80,665 active cases in the country and 124,082 Malaysians have completed their vaccination.  

Out of the 817,838 total cases in Malaysia since the beginning of the pandemic, 731,193 have recovered, 5,980 have died.

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