KUALA LUMPUR: The country's Covid-19 and influenza situation remains under control, with no increase in cases requiring intensive care and no new deaths reported, the Health Ministry said.
Between Dec 15 and 21, Malaysia reported 1,477 Covid-19 cases, a decrease of 14.23 per cent from 1,722 cases the previous week.
The bed occupancy rate for non-critical cases dropped from 0.16 per cent to 0.13 per cent, and intensive care unit bed occupancy decreased from 0.14 per cent to 0.10 per cent.
"No Covid-19 deaths have been reported since Apr 25, with the cumulative total remaining at 58 deaths," the ministry said in a statement.
"Additionally, no new variants have been detected, and the SARS-CoV-2 variants currently spreading in Malaysia are the Omicron variant and its subvariants."
Laboratory-based surveillance for influenza found that 139 of 856 Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) samples, or 16.24 per cent, from health clinics and eight of 67 Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) samples, or 11.94 per cent, from hospitals tested positive for the virus in Week 50.
The ministry said 32 per cent of the positive samples were identified as influenza A and 26 per cent as influenza B, marking a decrease from the previous week when 152 of 827 samples (18.38 per cent) of ILI cases and nine of 68 samples (13.24 per cent) of SARI cases tested positive for influenza.
"Although influenza infections are not required to be reported under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988, the Health Ministry continues to monitor influenza cases nationwide."
The ministry added that the increase in both Covid-19 and influenza cases towards the year's end was expected, mirroring trends in respiratory infections in other countries, particularly those with colder climates like Japan.
It urged the public to take proactive measures to safeguard their health and prevent the spread of infections, particularly during festive gatherings.