COVID-19: Six new positive cases, five local infections - Health D-G

Six positive COVID-19 cases were reported within 24 hours, with five involving domestic transmission, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said, with the latest development until 12 noon, the total number of cumulative positive cases of the epidemic in the country was 9,291 cases while the active cases with COVID-19 infection were 188 cases.

According to him, the five cases of contagion in the country were among Malaysians in Kedah, namely, three cases from the Tawar Cluster while there were one each Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) and the symptomatic screening cases, both at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital, Alor Setar.

"I would like to inform that of the six new cases reported, one case is an import case that has been infected abroad, namely Singapore involving a non-citizen. This import case was reported in Selangor," he said in a statement today.

He added that there were seven COVID-19 cases that had recovered today making the cumulative number of cases that had fully recovered from the pandemic at 8,978 cases, namely, 96.6 per cent of the total cases.

To date, nine positive COVID-19 cases were being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), of which six cases required respiratory assistance while no increase in COVID-19-related deaths was reported today, he said.

"Therefore, the cumulative number of COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia remains at 125 cases, namely, 1.35 per cent of the total number of cases," he said.

Touching on the Tawar Cluster, he said with the addition of the three cases from the cluster today, the total number of cases detected positive COVID-19 in this cluster was 73 cases.

As of 12 noon today, 4,051 people have been screened in the Kedah, Penang and Perak clusters, of which in Kedah 3,514 individuals had been screened and 62 cases were found positive, 2,884 individuals were found negative while 568 are still awaiting their results.

"In Penang, 526 were screened, 11 were found positive, 513 were negative and two were still waiting for results while in Perak there were 11 screenings which were all negative. There are no new screenings," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said the Ministry of Health had carried out various public health interventions including COVID-19 infection prevention activities for the Tawar Cluster, and they had been carried out in collaboration with various other agencies.

"The measures were taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection in this cluster, especially in the state of Kedah which has reported 85 per cent of the positive cases in this cluster," he said.

Other measures taken were to actively enhance case detection pursuits, enhance enforcement of compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), close the schools and premises involved to conduct disinfection and decontamination activities.

In addition, he said the ministry was also enhancing risk communication, including informing the current situation of COVID-19 in the affected areas through the mass media.

"These activities are still ongoing in the field including close contact screening of COVID-19 positive cases. The current situation of the clusters will be informed from time to time," he said.

-- BERNAMA