Yesterday, Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 new cases flew past the 10,000-mark recording 10,089 cases – the first time since October 2 last year when the country recorded 10,915 cases.
The Minster of Health, Khairy Jamaluddin, said yesterday that the Omicron wave will reach a daily caseload of 15,000 new cases “soon”.
The Health Director-General, Noor Hisham, warned that Covid-19 daily cases could hit 22,000 by the end of March.
My public health expert has advised that the Covid-19 numbers could rise to 20,000-25,000 range in the coming three to four weeks.
This boils down to the question whether the Omicron variant will set new peak of daily Covid-19 infections exceeding 25,000 cases a day?.
While we have broken the 10,000 mark, we have not gone back five months in the Covid-19 pandemic, as seen by the mortality numbers on Oct. 2, 2021 when there were 109 Covid-19 deaths, and yesterday, which recorded nine Covid-19 deaths.
On Oct. 2, we were on the descent from the peak of the third Covid-19 wave in Malaysia, which reached a daily peak of 24,588 infections on August 26 and a daily peak of 592 Covid-19 deaths on Sept. 11, 2021.
The Covid-19 cases and deaths were all of the Delta variant.
Now, the dominant variant is Omicron, which is more transmissible but not so severe or deadly, as seen by yesterday’s numbers – 10,089 infections but nine Covid-19 deaths.
Noor Hisham, in an update via his official Twitter account, said 99.24 per cent or 10,012 new cases were in category one and two, while another 77 cases or 0.76 per cent were in category three, four and five which require hospitalisation..
On the country’s infectivity rate (Rt), Noor Hisham said it was at 1.20 with Perlis recording the highest value of 1.49 followed by Sabah (1.41), Putrajaya (1.29), Kedah (1.22), while Penang and Sarawak recorded 1.17, as of yesterday.
Noor Hisham said increasing the vaccination and booster shot coverage could also reduce the transmission, as well as lower the Ro/Rt to less than 1.
“We are not out of the woods yet. The onus is on us now to come together and brace the surge of cases. However, more importantly, we have to anticipate the high number of cases with less severity, less hospitalisation and less fatality,” he said.
The⋅Ministry of Health has said that the Covid-19 Omicron variant will not overwhelm the national health system because of Malaysia’s “excellent” vaccination coverage.
Although cases had been increasing this past week, there had been no surge in intensive care unit (ICU) admissions or mortality rates.
For comparison, South Korea reported 38,670 (15 deaths), Indonesia 36,057 (57 deaths), Thailand 10,879 (20 deaths), the Philippines 8,361 (312 death), Australia 22,839 (45) deaths and Singapore 7,752 (3 deaths).
In 2019, Malaysia was ranked high at No. 18 country in the Global Health Security Index, and regarded as best positioned to deal with pandemic diseases but when the Covid-19 Pandemic hit the world in the last two years, Malaysia proved to be one of the worst performing nations in the world, occupying the top 20 position for cumulative total of Covid-19 cases for the last quarter of 2021.
It is something to celebrate that in the new year of 2022, Malaysia has slipped eight places and fallen to No. 28th ranking for nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, led by the United States with 78 million cases and over 925,000 deaths.
The global figures are nearly 396 million cumulative total of Covid-19 cases and nearly 5.8 million Covid-19 deaths.
With 2,914,220 Covid-19 cases and 32,034 Covid-19 deaths, Malaysia has fallen to No. 28 for nations with the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases, losing out to Peru, Belgium, Czechia, Japan, Israel, Canada and Portugal.
I hope to see Malaysia fall lower in the ranking among nations for the most cumulative total of Covid-19 cases.
(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 7th January 2022)
Adakah varian Omicron akan mencatatkan kemuncak baharu jangkitan harian Covid-19 dengan lebih 25,000 kes pada bulan Februari 2022?
Semalam, kes harian baharu Covid-19 di Malaysia kembali melepasi paras 10,000 dengan 10,089 kes – kali pertama sejak 2 Oktober tahun lalu apabila negara mencatatkan 10,915 kes.
Semalam Menteri Kesihatan, Khairy Jamaluddin, berkata bahawa gelombang Omicron akan mencapai tahap kes harian baharu sebanyak 15,000 “tidak lama lagi”.
Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan, Noor Hisham, memberi amaran bahawa kes harian Covid-19 boleh mencecah 22,000 kes sehari pada akhir bulan Mac.
Pakar kesihatan awam telah menasihatkan bahawa jumlah Covid-19 boleh meningkat kepada julat 20,000-25,000 dalam tiga hingga empat minggu akan datang.
Perkara ini menimbulkan persoalan sama ada varian Omicron akan menetapkan puncak jangkitan Covid-19 melebihi 25,000 sehari?
Walaupun kita telah memecahkan rekod 10,000 kes, kita belum mundur lima bulan dalam pandemik ini, seperti yang ditunjukkan oleh kadar kematian pada 2 Oktober 2021 dengan 109 kematian berbanding dengan kadar kematian 9 orang yang dicatatkan semalam.
Pada 2 Oktober, kita sedang beransur pulih daripada gelombang ketiga Covid-19 di Malaysia, yang mencapai puncak jangkitan sebanyak 24,588 kes pada 26 Ogos dan puncak kematian akibat Covid-19 sebanyak 592 pada 11 September 2021.
Kes jangkitan dan kematian akibat Covid-19 itu adalah berpunca daripada varian Delta.
Kini, varian dominan adalah varian Omicron, yang lebih mudah menular tetapi tidak begitu teruk atau membunuh, seperti yang dilihat oleh angka kes yang direkodkan semalam – 10,089 kes jangkitan dengan sembilan kes kematian akibat Covid-19.
Noor Hisham, dalam kemas kini menerusi akaun Twitter rasminya, berkata 99.24 peratus atau 10,012 kes baharu adalah dalam kategori satu dan dua, manakala 77 kes lagi atau 0.76 peratus dalam kategori tiga, empat dan lima yang memerlukan kemasukan ke hospital.
Mengenai kadar keboleh jangkitan (Rt) negara, Noor Hisham berkata ia berada pada 1.20 dengan Perlis mencatatkan nilai tertinggi 1.49 diikuti Sabah (1.41), Putrajaya (1.29), Kedah (1.22), manakala Pulau Pinang dan Sarawak mencatatkan 1.17, setakat semalam.
Noor Hisham berkata meningkatkan liputan vaksinasi dan suntikan penggalak juga boleh mengurangkan penularan, serta menurunkan Ro/Rt kepada kurang daripada 1.
“Kita masih berdepan cabaran. Tanggungjawab kini terletak pada kita untuk bersatu dan menghadapi lonjakan kes. Namun, yang lebih penting, kita perlu menjangkakan jumlah kes yang lebih tinggi dengan tahap keterukan yang rendah, kurang kemasukan ke hospital dan kurang kematian,” katanya.
Kementerian Kesihatan telah menyatakan bahawa varian Omicron Covid-19 tidak akan melumpuhkan sistem kesihatan negara kerana liputan vaksinasi “cemerlang” Malaysia.
Walaupun kes telah meningkat minggu lalu, tiada peningkatan dalam kemasukan pesakit ke unit rawatan rapi (ICU) mahupun kadar kematian.
Sebagai perbandingan, Korea Selatan melaporkan 38,670 (15 kematian), Indonesia 36,057 (57 kematian), Thailand 10,879 (20 kematian), Filipina 8,361 (312 kematian), Australia 22,839 (45 kematian) dan Singapura 7,752 (3 kematian).
Pada 2019, Malaysia berada di kedudukan ke-18 dalam Indeks Keselamatan Kesihatan Global, dan dianggap sebagai kedudukan terbaik untuk menangani penyakit pandemik tetapi apabila Pandemik Covid-19 melanda dunia dalam tempoh dua tahun lepas, Malaysia terbukti menjadi salah satu negara berprestasi paling teruk di dunia, menduduki kedudukan 20 teratas bagi jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 bagi suku terakhir 2021.
Ia adalah sesuatu yang boleh diraikan pada tahun baharu 2022 apabila Malaysia berjaya turun lapan anak tangga dan turun ke kedudukan ke-28 bagi negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 terbanyak, didahului oleh Amerika Syarikat dengan 78 juta kes dengan lebih 925,000 kematian.
Angka kumulatif kes Covid-19 global adalah hampir 396 juta dan hampir 5.8 juta kematian akibat Covid-19.
Dengan 2,914,220 kes Covid-19 dan 32,034 kematian akibat wabak itu, Malaysia jatuh ke tangga ke-28 bagi negara dengan jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 terbanyak, tewas kepada Peru, Belgium, Republik Czech, Jepun, Israel, Kanada dan Portugal.
Saya berharap untuk melihat kedudukan Malaysia bertambah baik dalam ranking bagi jumlah kumulatif kes Covid-19 terbanyak.
(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 7 Januari 2022)
