PETALING JAYA: Malaysia recorded 3,516 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday (Aug 17), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,744,929 since the pandemic began.

The Health Ministry's CovidNow portal reported that 3,513 of Wednesday's new infections were locally transmitted while there were three imported cases.

The portal also reported that there were 2,541 individuals who recovered from Covid-19 infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recoveries in the country to 4,667,111 since the pandemic began.

As at 11.59pm Wednesday, there were 41,701 active Covid-19 cases in the country, with 40,034, or 96% of the total, observing home quarantine and 41, or 0.1%, being treated at quarantine and treatment centres nationwide.

The CovidNow portal reported that 1,534 individuals, or 3.7% of active Covid-19 cases, were being treated in hospital while there are 92 patients in intensive care units (ICU).

Of those in ICU on Wednesday, 43 are unventilated while 49 require ventilator support.

The portal also reported that the overall ICU utilisation rate in the country stood at 62.6% while the utilisation rate for Covid-19 patients was at 24.7%.

The Health Ministry's GitHub data repository, meanwhile, reported that there were 15 deaths due to Covid-19 on Wednesday, including four classified as "brought-in-dead".

This brings the total number of Covid-19 fatalities in Malaysia to 36,117 since the pandemic began.

Four of Wednesday's Covid-19 deaths were reported in Johor while three deaths each were reported in Melaka and Perak.

Sabah recorded two Covid-19 fatalities on Wednesday while Selangor, Pahang and Sarawak reported one death each.