PUTRAJAYA: A total of 55.6 per cent of the 34 Covid-19 deaths recorded to date in the country involved victims who are 60 years old and above.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 67.6 per cent of those who died from the deadly virus had suffered from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, kidney and heart problems.
This group of people, said Dr Noor Hisham, is more vulnerable to Covid-19 infection and they suffer from severe complications due to the infection.
“That is why it is important to protect ourselves and our family by taking precautionary measures.
“Please ensure that the supply of medicines for patients (with chronic illnesses) are sufficient.
“(Other) healthcare services at facilities by the Health Ministry are still available for follow-up treatments, appointments and to obtain supply of medicines,” he told reporters here today.
Dr Noor Hisham had earlier announced that there were seven Covid-19 deaths recorded, raising the death toll from the infection in the country to 34.
Four of the seven latest victims who died from Covid-19 were those aged between 64 and 91.
Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 150 new cases were reported as of noon today, bringing the total number of positive Covid-19 cases to 2,470.
From the new cases, 61 were related to the tabligh gathering at the Seri Petaling Mosque cluster.
“Based on the numbers, we see that cases from the tabligh group have gone into the fifth generation within a period of one month,” he said.
Asked if there were any new clusters related to the confirmed Covid-19 cases, Dr Noor Hisham explained: “New clusters would be indirectly related to whether they are the fourth or fifth generation (of the tabligh gathering).
“We can see that the spread was mainly because the tabligh group or the jemaah goes to the mosque and the mosque-goers gets infected as well,” he said.