Workers spray disinfectant near the Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Oct. 17, 2020. Malaysia reported 869 new COVID-19 infections in the highest daily spike since the outbreak, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, bringing the national total to 19,627. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia reported 869 new COVID-19 infections in the highest daily spike since the outbreak, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, bringing the national total to 19,627.
Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah told a press briefing that all the new cases are local transmissions.
Four more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 180.
More than half of the new cases were from the eastern state of Sabah, with 451 of the new cases reported in the state. The capital city of Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Selangor state accounted for 20 percent, while another 25 percent were reported from several clusters in prisons.
A total of 302 patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 12,561, or 64 percent of all cases.
Of the remaining 6,886 active cases, 91 are being held in intensive care and 30 of those are in need of assisted breathing. Enditem
