Nine new COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the country today, six of which were local transmissions, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

This brings the cumulative figure of cases to 8,840, including 143 active cases, he said.

“Of the six local transmissions, four are Malaysians while the other two are foreigners,” he said at the COVID-19 media briefing here today.

He said the four local transmissions were detected in Sarawak, which involved one case each from the Stutong, Sentosa and Kuching Engineering clusters while the fourth is still under investigation.

“The local transmissions involving foreigners, meanwhile, involved one case in Sabah, detected through the screening process before the individual was released from prison, while one more case was in Kelantan, also via prison screening prior to being transferred to the Immigration Detention Centre,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the three import cases reported overnight, meanwhile, involved a Malaysian and also two foreigners who have family residing in Malaysia and had been allowed in for work purposes.

“The three import cases are from Singapore, India and the Philippines,” he said.

Also, no new fatalities were reported, and the death toll remains at 123 cases, he said.

Dr Noor Hisham also said eight patients had recovered and allowed to be discharged today, bringing the cumulative number of recovered cases to 8,574 cases or 97 per cent of the total number of cases.

“To date, there are five COVID-19 positive cases being treated in the intensive care unit, two of whom need ventilator support,” he added.

-- BERNAMA