COVID-19: 11 new clusters, seven at workplace

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry today detected 11 new COVID-19 clusters including seven at the workplace, bringing the total number of clusters in Malaysia to 548, with 242 being active ones under monitoring.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the workplace clusters were detected through targeted screening at the workplace while the other four clusters were identified through screening of symptomatic individuals.

The workplace clusters were detected in Selangor involving Jalan Playar Cluster and Sri Suria Cluster in Petaling; Tapak Bina Bukit Semenyih Cluster and Bukit Angkat Cluster in Hulu Langat; Parit Jamil Cluster in Muar, Johor; as well as Tapak Bina Jalan Desa Cluster in Lembah Pantai; and Jalan Raja Cluster in Lembah Pantai, Cheras, Titiwangsa and Kepong in Kuala Lumpur.

“The first positive case in the Jalan Playar Cluster was detected on Dec 11, 2020 following a targeted screening at a factory, and so far, a total of 180 individuals have been screened with 68 confirmed COVID-19 positive.

"The Sri Suria Cluster was reported positive starting today through targeted screening at a factory with a total of 258 individuals screened and 16 confirmed positive for COVID-19," he said in a statement today.

Dr Noor Hisham said the Tapak Bina Bukit Semenyih Cluster recorded 17 positive cases while the Bukit Angkat Cluster reported 25 positive cases.

“The index case for the Parit Jamil Cluster, which is the 108,188th case, was reported positive on 29 Dec 2020 as a result of symptomatic individual screening. As of today, a total of 612 individuals have been screened, with 62 detected positive for COVID-19 in this cluster.

"The Tapak Bina Jalan Desa Cluster started today following a targeted screening at construction site with a total of 800 individuals screened, and 116 were detected positive. The Jalan Raja Cluster recorded 25 positive cases through targeted screening at a shopping mall," he said.

The other four new clusters are the Tombovo Cluster in Putatan, Sabah which recorded 18 COVID-19 positive cases; Langit Selatan Cluster in Kuantan, Pahang (nine); Bah Sayap Cluster in Miri, Sarawak (five); and Mengkuang Cluster in Marang and Kuala Nerus in Terengganu (10).

Dr Noor Hisham said 53 clusters reported an increase in cases today, with the highest at the 5 Jalan Perindustrian Cluster with 200 cases followed by Tapak Bina Jalan Desa Cluster (116) and Beringin Cluster (65).

-- BERNAMA