The Health Ministry today announced 18 new Covid-19 cases, bringing the total to date to 117 cases.

Of the 18 new cases, only one was imported while 17 others are likely to be local transmissions.

Health Ministry director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said the imported case is Patient 101 who just returned from Iran.

He, along with his business partner, had travelled to Iran on Feb 20 and returned on Feb 27.

He started showing symptoms on March 5 and was tested positive with Covid-19 on March 8.

"The case is being treated at the isolation ward of Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Negeri Sembilan," he said in a statement today.

Of the 117 recorded cases, 22 were from the first wave of infections from Jan 25 to Feb 16. All those infected during the first wave have fully recovered.

The remaining 95 cases came during the second wave of infection which started on Feb 28.

Only six of the 95 cases under the second wave were possible imported cases while the rest were local transmissions.

In a related development, Noor Hisham said the condition of two patients in the intensive care unit, who are breathing with the aid of a ventilator, remain unchanged.

He added that to date, some 574 tests showed no evidence of sporadic Covid-19 cases - meaning cases which are not part of the Covid-19 cluster already known to health authorities.

Hisham reiterated the importance of good hygiene to curb the spread of the coronavirus and advised people to postpone travelling to countries worst-hit by Covid-19.

He added that anyone who has respiratory infection-like symptoms such as fever, coughing and difficulty breathing should immediately seek treatment.

Hisham said people with such symptoms should also refrain from visiting places with large crowds.