PUTRAJAYA, 20 April 2020:
Malaysia’s efforts in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic continue to yield encouraging results when 36 new positive cases were reported today, the lowest number recorded since March 12.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there were no fatalities reported overnight, retaining the death toll at 89.
“The number of recoveries today, 98 cases, also exceeded the number of new cases, which brings the cumulative total of those fully recovered and discharged to 3,295 cases or 60.74% of the case tally,” he said at the daily media briefing at the Health Ministry here today.
Dr Noor Hisham said the total number of Covid-19 positive cases in Malaysia now stands at 5,425, while the number of active cases with infectivity is 2,041.
To date, 45 of the cases are being treated at the Intensive Care Unit with 28 of them requiring ventilators.
On the decline of new cases the past three days, Dr Noor Hisham said this was due to proactive and aggressive action taken in case tracing, especially in the last two weeks.
Dr Noor Hisham, however, did not rule out the possibility of new cases rising again. “The numbers could rise again in the next two weeks on account that case tracing is still being carried out, especially involving Malaysians who had just returned from abroad, and also those from the areas placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).”
Since the Movement Control Order (MCO) came into force on March 18, the daily graph reading for new cases had been volatile with the numbers not lower than triple digits, with 235 cases, reported on March 26, the highest daily figure.
Today, during the sixth week of the MCO, the country recorded a double-digit figure for a third day running, with 84 cases reported yesterday and 54 on Saturday.
Of the 2,064 samples taken from Pusat Bandar Utara and Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market, 28 tested positive for Covid-19, with one death, said Dr Noor Hisham.
He said the Ministry of Health (MH) hoped to carry out more screenings in both the areas, which have been placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from today until May 3.
“MoH also learned from neighbouring countries to act fast to contain the spread of the virus among non-Malaysians.”
Elaborating on the one Covid-19 death in that area, Dr Noor Hisham said it involved a category four case Myanmar national, 36, who sought treatment at the Selayang Hospital but succumbed to his illness.
The swab taken confirmed it was a Covid-19 positive case, he said, adding that was why the ministry needed to focus on the location and target group. “The high-risk group is basically in Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market.”
Dr Noor Hisham urged non-Malaysians and those whose visit and work passes had expired to come forward and undergo Covid-19 screening. “What is important is for MoH to ensure this group is not infected with Covid-19 or infect others.”
Meanwhile, some 2,500 individuals identified as having had close contact with Covid-19 positive patients in Kuching have yet to be screened, says Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Uggah, who is also the State Disaster Management Committee chairman, said a special team led by former State Health director Dr Jamilah Hashim was set up to address the issue.
“They (the special task force) started this morning to call them up, and are pursuing them (close contacts) to come for the test.”
Uggah also said the state government had to reverse its decision on allowing Sarawakians returning from the Peninsular, Sabah and Labuan to undergo 14-day self-quarantine at home.
He said this was because there had been positive cases detected among Malaysians who returned from Indonesia via KL International Airport (KLIA), as well as positive cases from Kuching and Miri who had just returned from overseas and Kuala Lumpur.
“All Sarawakians returning from the Peninsular, Sabah and Labuan will be quarantined for 14 days, at their place of arrival (either Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu or Miri) instead of quarantining themselves at home as instructed previously.”
He said those who tested negative after a test on the seventh day would be allowed to finish the quarantine at home.
– Bernama