Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], January 12 (ANI/Xinhua): Malaysia reported 3,309 new COVID-19 infections in the highest daily spike since the outbreak, bringing the national total to 141,533, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that six of the new cases are imported and 3,303 are local transmissions.

Another four deaths have been reported, pushing the total deaths to 559.

Some 1,469 more patients have been released after recovery, bringing the total cured and discharged to 110,584, or 78.1 per cent of all cases.

Of the remaining 30,390 active cases, 190 are being held in intensive care and 83 of those are in need of assisted breathing.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin has tested positive for COVID-19, the ministry said in a statement.

Hamzah is the third minister to test positive in recent days after Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Economic Affairs Mustapa Mohamed and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rina Harun also tested positive. (ANI/Xinhua)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)