COVID-19: Cheras apartment cluster may be related to Aidilfitri visiting activities

The first case of a new cluster in an apartment in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur has been identified from the screening of tahfiz centre students conducted in collaboration with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said, however, no student, teacher or staff from the tahfiz centre had any history of attending the rally in Seri Petaling.

To date, six cases have been detected in the new cluster, three of which are occupants of the apartment and three other cases outside the apartment area.

In fact, he did not rule out the possibility that the transmission was related to Aidilfitri visiting activities.

"They have been detected through active case detection (ACD). The positive cases of this cluster are family members and friends of the first case detected.

"The cause of this cluster infection is still under investigation but it is highly probable that the COVID-19 transmission was related to visiting activity before and during Hari Raya Aidilfitri," he said at a press conference here on Tuesday.

Following that, subsequent investigation and close contact screenings for the six cases were conducted.

"So far 120 people have been identified and screened of which six are COVID-19 positive, 76 cases are negative and 38 are still pending," he said.

In addition to the Active Case Detection action that has begun to take place in the apartment, several COVID-19 infection control measures have been taken.

They include contact isolation and sampling activity, disinfection and sanitizing activity, health education warnings related to COVID-19 infection prevention such as 3W practice and 3S prevention.

Meanwhile, the cluster in an apartment in Cheras did not involve any other apartments so far.