PUTRAJAYA/POKOK SENA • Covid-19 hospitalisation and intensive care unit admission figures have gone down in states with higher vaccination rates, Malaysia's health director-general said.
Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there were reductions in Labuan, Sarawak, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, where at least 40 per cent of the adult population were fully vaccinated.
"This proves the effect of vaccination. At Hospital Sungai Buloh, admissions for Covid-19 patients have also seen a downward trend following the completion of Operation Surge Capacity.
"However, other states where vaccination rates are slower have yet to show a reduction in hospital admissions," he told a press briefing on Friday.
He said another sign that vaccinations were proving to be effective was the low number of severe cases among healthcare workers infected with Covid-19.
He said 6,718 fully vaccinated healthcare workers had contracted Covid-19, or 2.94 per cent of the 248,874 healthcare workers vaccinated.
"The ministry conducts periodical screening of its workers because of their high exposure to Covid-19. Most (of those infected) are in categories 1 and 2, which means they have mild or no symptoms," Dr Noor Hisham added.
As at yesterday, some 31 per cent of Malaysia's population have been fully vaccinated.
Yesterday, Malaysia recorded 20,670 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the cumulative total to 1,384,353. Most of the new cases were found in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Kedah.
In the Greater Klang Valley, there were about 80,000 Covid-19 patients undergoing self-isolation, health deputy director-general Chong Chee Kheong said on Friday.
Over half of these patients were category 1 asymptomatic patients, said Dr Chong, who is also chairman of the Greater Klang Valley Task Force. Another 30 per cent were in category 2 with mild symptoms while only 20 per cent showed serious signs.
The Greater Klang Valley is an area that covers Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Putrajaya and Negeri Sembilan.
Meanwhile, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry said it has identified 33 children who have been orphaned by the pandemic. Minister Rina Mohd Harun said these children, who have lost their parents or guardians to Covid-19, would be given assistance in terms of social needs and counselling to help them carry on with their lives.
Datuk Seri Rina said the children would be handed over to close relatives or next of kin who were willing and capable of taking care of them. Otherwise, they would be placed at child protection institutions or a children's shelter.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
