KUALA LUMPUR, 12 Oct 2020:
The number of new Covid-19 positive cases in Malaysia remained at three digits, with 563 cases reported in the past 24 hours – to take the cumulative total to 16,220, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said the number of active cases also rose to 5,039, while two fatalities were reported to take the death toll to 159.
Of the 563 cases, only one was imported – involving a Malaysian returning from Indonesia.
Although Sabah continued to record the highest number of daily cases with 291, he noted Penang reported the biggest increase – with 141 cases involving the Remand Prison Cluster.
“Selangor recorded 69 cases; followed by Kuala Lumpur (27); Negeri Sembilan (12); Kedah (10); Perak (four); Johor, Putrajaya and Labuan (two each); as well as Sarawak and Melaka (one each),” Dr Noor Hisham said in a virtual media conference streamed live via the Health Ministry’s Facebook account today.
Dr Noor Hisham said 98 patients are being treated in the intensive care unit, with 29 needing ventilator support.
Of the 562 local transmission cases, 498 involved Malaysians while 68 were foreigners.
“Of the 562 cases, 10 were returnees from Sabah, bringing the number of cases with a travel history to the state since Sept 20 to 363.”
There were also 109 recoveries, taking the cumulative total recoveries to 11,022 cases or 67.9% of total cases.
He said the two fatalities today involved two women in Sabah, one a Malaysian and the other a foreigner.
“The 158th death case involved an 85-year-old Malaysian woman, with a history of high blood pressure, heart disease and chronic lung disease, at the Tawau Hospital while the 159th death case involved a 48-year-old foreign woman at the Tuaran Hospital.”
He said six new Covid-19 clusters have been detected in the country, comprising two clusters in Kuala Lumpur and one each in Sabah, Selangor, Johor and Putrajaya.
Dr Noor Hisham said the two new clusters in Kuala Lumpur were identified as Baiduri cluster and Bah Perdana cluster, while the Kolong cluster was detected in Sabah and the Bah Tropicana cluster in Selangor. Meanwhile, the Rinting cluster was identified in Johor and Bah Kasturi cluster in Putrajaya.
Dr Noor Hisham said the Baiduri cluster involved the Hulu Langat and Cheras districts with the cluster index case (case 14312) identified positive for Covid-19 as the result of pre-surgical screening on Oct 7. The patient was subsequently admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital.
“The close contact screening detected 17 more positive cases, (and) until Oct 12, a total of 39 individuals were screened with nine of them still waiting for the results.”
On the Bah Perdana cluster in Cheras, Dr Noor Hisham said the index case (case 11305) was detected on Sept 28 following Covid-19 screening conducted on Sabah returnees. The individual was then admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital.
He said the screening conducted on the patient’s close contacts identified eight positive Covid-19 cases, while 13 individuals were still waiting for the results.
On the Kolong cluster in Keningau, Sabah, Dr Noor Hisham said the index case (case 13548) was detected as Covid-19-positive on Oct 7 following screening in the community. The patient was subsequently admitted to Lahad Datu Hospital.
“The close contact screening identified seven more positive cases and until today, three individuals are still waiting for their results.”
Dr Noor Hisham said the index case (case 11804) in the Bah Tropicana cluster in Petaling, Selangor, was detected on Oct 2 following Covid-19 screening conducted on Sabah returnees. The patient was then admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital.
He added that screening on the patient’s close contacts detected 13 more positive Covid-19 cases and 28 individuals are still waiting for the results.
On the Rinting cluster involving the districts of Melaka Tengah and Johor Bahru, Dr Noor Hisham said the index case (case 14350) was detected following Covid-19 screening conducted on those returning to work on Oct 7, and the patient was admitted to Melaka Hospital.
The close contact screening identified seven more positive cases, with 57 individuals waiting for the results.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the Bah Kasturi cluster involved Seremban in Negeri Sembilan, Cheras in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, as well as Klang, Petaling, Hulu Langat, Gombak and Kuala Langat in Selangor.
“The index case (case 12553) of this cluster was identified positive for Covid-19 following screening conducted on Sabah returnees on Sept 24 and the person was admitted to Tuanku Jaafar Hospital, Negeri Sembilan.
“The close contact screening detected 17 more positive cases, while 10 individuals are still waiting for the results.”
– Bernama