KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia reported its highest Covid-19 death count for this year on Tuesday (March 1) amid an ongoing Omicron infection wave that has already set a new all-time record for infections - even though most cases are mild or asymptomatic.
The country reported 78 deaths, up from 75 on Monday.
Tuesday's figure was the highest since Oct 28 last year when 95 deaths were recorded.
Despite Omicron proving to be milder and less devastating for the healthcare system compared with the Delta wave last year, Malaysia's deaths per capita rate for Covid-19 remains the highest in South-east Asia.
The country has 992 deaths per one million population, almost double that of neighbouring Indonesia.
In Asia, only Iran, Lebanon and Jordan have higher rates.
Malaysia's death rate has been gradually inching up since the Omicron wave started in early February. The current wave has seen a record 32,070 cases last Thursday, eclipsing the 24,599 at the peak of the Delta wave on Aug 26 last year.
It reported 25,854 cases on Tuesday.
However, despite the numbers, Omicron is so far proving to be less deadly than the Delta wave.
When it reported its record number of infections during the Delta wave, the country counted 393 deaths. The highest single-day death toll was 592 on Sept 11.
Malaysia's seven-day average fatality rate was 0.2 per cent in the third week of February, far lower than the overall 0.9 per cent rate reported since the start of the pandemic. The country has so far recorded 32,826 deaths.
Hospitalisations have been on an uptrend since the start of the wave, but the data indicates that the healthcare system is not overwhelmed like it was during the Delta wave - which saw hospitals and morgues running out of space.
Hospital utilisation rate stood at 67.1 per cent on Tuesday. Seven states have a utilisation above 70 per cent, with the highest two being Penang (78.7 per cent) and Johor (76.2 per cent).
Utilisation of intensive care units nationwide was 62.4 per cent.
Malaysia currently has 293,283 Covid-19 patients, with over 96 per cent serving home quarantine, which is allowed for those experiencing mild or no symptoms.
A total of 7,542 people are currently hospitalised, with 374 in intensive care.
Malaysia is keeping its economy open amid the Omicron wave, as it prepares to enter an endemic phase and reopen borders after the current wave peaks - projected to be by the end of this month.
Close to 80 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated, while 45.1 per cent of Malaysians have taken a booster dose.
The country has been gradually relaxing its Covid-19 rules.
Starting Tuesday (March 1), asymptomatic close contacts of Covid-19 patients are no longer required to serve mandatory quarantine if they have had their vaccine booster shots.
Malaysia also relaxed Covid-19 testing rules for vaccinated travel lane travellers from Singapore, who are no longer required to get tested up until the sixth day after their arrival.
