THE number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care units dipped even further today from 620 yesterday to 601 as of noon, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said. 

He said of the total, 522 patients tested positive, while the remaining are suspected and probable cases under investigation. 

Meanwhile, intubated ICU patients increased by two from yesterday’s 297 to 299 as of 12pm. 

A total of 222 are positive and 77 are suspected and probable cases under investigation. 

The country has been witnessing a downward trend in ICU admissions as well as intubated patients in the past few days. 

Noor Hisham also reported 6,978 recoveries against 5,666 infections, bringing the total number of cases discharged to 2.3 million. 

Of today’s 5,666 new cases, 5,559 were in categories 1 (asymptomatic) and 2 (mildly symptomatic), while 107 were in the more severe categories of infections.

He also reported three new clusters – in the workplace, community and high-risk group. 

Today’s clusters bring the total number of active clusters in the country to 539. – October 24, 2021.