Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin speaks at a press conference October 21, 2021. — Bernama pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — The basic reproduction number (R-nought or R0) of Covid-19 infections in Malaysia — an indicator of how fast the disease is spreading — has surged back up to 1.0, according to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
A value higher than 1.0 indicates that the number of people getting infected will increase over time if the current situation persists.
“We are monitoring hospital admissions and other leading indicators,” said Khairy in a Twitter post this morning.
“If you have been given an appointment for a booster dose, take it. The elderly, where possible, should avoid crowded places,” he added.
Figures shared in the post show that Putrajaya has the highest Rt among states and Federal Territories with 1.16.
This was followed by 1.04 in Kuala Lumpur, 1.03 in Selangor, and 1.02 in Kelantan.
The lowest Rt recordings were logged in Sarawak (0.87), Perak (0.88), Terengganu (0.90), and Labuan — which did not have an Rt record due to its low number of daily infections.