KUALA LUMPUR: New Covid-19 cases dropped to 3,490 compared to 4,626 the day before, bringing the cumulative total to 2,691,639 cases, the Health director-general says.

       From these cases, 69 or 2% were patients in Categories 3, 4 and 5 while 3,421 cases or 98% were in Categories 1 and 2, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said yesterday in his daily Covid-19 update.

       Of the new cases, 14 were imported, he said, adding that 407 patients were being treated in intensive care units while 216 cases required respiratory assistance.

       There were 5,399 recoveries reported, bringing the overall total to 2,601,908.

       Apart from that, he said two new clusters were identified and there were 243 active clusters in the country.

       The infectivity rate (Rt) in the country was now 0.97, he added.

       Meanwhile, agencies under the Communications and Multimedia Ministry have been told to continue efforts to raise awareness on Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance, especially during this election period in Sarawak.

       Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said these efforts must continue as the people needed to be reminded of their role in terms of SOP compliance without banking on enforcement measures alone.

       “We cannot (expect) an ideal situation (by) introducing one (SOP and) everyone will (always) adhere to it,” he said according to Bernama.

       “Human nature (is such that people) need to continue to be fed with information, explanations and we also encourage community empowerment, in terms of compliance,” Annuar said during a visit to Bernama’s Sarawak election operations centre in Kuching yesterday.