COVID-19: Malaysia records 23 new cases - Health D-G

The number of new COVID-19 positive cases in the country continues to rise, with 23 cases reported today compared to 21 yesterday, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said this took the cumulative figure of cases to 8,884 and the total number of infectivity cases to 167.

According to him, of the 23 new cases, six were imported cases involving four Malaysians and two foreigners allowed in for work purposes.

"Of the six imported cases, three were from Singapore and one each from Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia,” he said at the COVID-19 media briefing here today.

He added that 17 local transmissions were recorded, with 10 involving Malaysians and seven foreigners.

He said of the seven local transmission cases among foreigners, one involved a patient who was screened after giving birth in Kuala Lumpur.

"She is a detainee at the Bukit Jalil Immigration Detention Depot. She is asymptomatic and undergoing treatment at the Serdang Hospital,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said two other cases were reported in Selangor, with one each detected from the Sepang workers’ quarters cluster and a work-place screening.

He also said that four more cases were recorded in Johor, with one each detected from the Kluang old folks home cluster and a pre-employment screening while two others were from the Bukit Tiram cluster.

Meanwhile, of the 10 local transmission cases among Malaysians, one was from the Kluang old folks home cluster and one from a work-place screening in Johor.

In Sarawak, eight cases were recorded, with four from the Sentosa cluster and one each from the Kuching engineering cluster, Kuching construction company, work-place screening as well as a screening at the airport entrance whereby the asymptomatic individual has been admitted to the Sarawak General Hospital.

Dr Noor Hisham said 17 patients had recovered and were discharged today, taking the cumulative number of recovered cases to 8,594 or 96.7 per cent of the total number of cases.

"Thus far, only three positive COVID-19 patients are still being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), with two of them needing ventilator support. No new fatalities were reported today and the death toll remains at 123 cases,” he said.

-- BERNAMA