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After new Covid-19 cases reached an all-time high yesterday, the Health Ministry held a special press conference at 10 am this morning (6 August).

It was attended by the Health Ministry’s (MOH) Chief Secretary Datuk Mohd Shafiq Abdullah, Deputy Director-General (Public Health) Dr Chong Chee Keong, Deputy Director-General (Research and Technical Support) Datuk Dr Hishamshah Mohd Ibrahim, and Selangor Health Department (JKNS) Director Datuk Dr Sha’ari Ngadiman.

Malaysia’s Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba was unable to attend as he was under quarantine.

Here’s are the details:

The recent rise in cases

The rise in Covid-19 outbreaks occurred nationally and in the greater Klang Valley. As the cases rise, the death rate also increases.

The increasing infection numbers were the result of eased standard operating procedures (SOP) and restrictions that occurred a month ago – when economic sectors were allowed to continue, and when people moved around during the festival season and even crossed state borders.

It’s said that the number of people who were brought in dead (BID) has been rising consistently over the past few weeks, reaching between 80 to 100 cases per week.

Based on the analysis made by KKM, 80% of BID cases were never diagnosed with Covid-19, as they either did not have access to a diagnosis or were not coming forward to be tested, and that a big proportion of them were non-Malaysians.

The Delta variant

It also appears that the Delta variant is the dominant variant here with an infectivity rate of between 5 and 8 compared to the Wuhan variant which was 2.

Based on its characteristics, the Delta variant is effectively a new virus and fighting it requires a different strategy.

As such, they expect infections to peak at the end of August and the curve will only flatten around 31 October 2021.

MORE TO COME…

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