The first two graphs show a worrying upward trend of new daily positive cases and deaths – more than 150% increase from mid-July until now.
The third image shows Johor vaccination rate is the second lowest in Malaysia with only 17.8% of adults fully-vaccinated while 45.1% of adults received first dose.
The Delta variant is already detected in a number of districts in Johor.
Currently ICU is running at about 85% of the total capacity and 132% of original ICU beds (which are generally of better quality). Covid ICU admission is 121% of total ICU beds allocated for Covid, i.e it is taking up ICU beds meant for non-Covid cases. Further increase in Covid ICU hospitalisation will reduce the quality of care for both Covid and non-Covid patients. Johor health care system is at the brink of collapse.
ICU numbers as follow:
- Total ICU Bed (Original): 120
- Total ICU Bed (Repurposed): 67
- Total ICU Bed : 187
- Total ICU Bed for Covid: 108
- Current Covid ICU Admission: 131
- Current Covid Non-ICU Admission: 27
High infectivity rate, low vaccination rate, arrival of Delta and ICU facilities running short is a recipe for disaster if nothing is done now.
With that, I call upon the state government and federal government to do the following: –
- Run Operation Surge Capacity (OSC) in Johor to ramp up vaccination program as soon as possible (just like how Selangor state government is working with the federal government to run OSC in Klang Valley).
- Increase state health department ability in Find, Test, Trace, Isolate and Support (FTTIS). In addition, Johor state government must give instructions to all District Officers (DOs) to give full cooperation in expanding testing. Currently, elected representatives in some districts in Johor are facing problems in getting DOs support in running proactive community testing.
- Expand ICU capacity, plan and mobilize the additional human resource needed and increase the number of equipment and facilities needed for Covid treatment. Do not only start sourcing for them after we hit 100% ICU capacity.
We need urgent proactive actions from both the state and federal government before it is too late. I am sure elected representatives from both sides of the political divides will give our full support to such an effort.
Let’s protect Johor together!
Data source of New Cases, Deaths and ICU: https://github.com/MoH-Malaysia/covid19-public