New COVID-19 cases in Malaysia returned to a single digit today with three cases, bringing the cumulative total to 8,637, including 182 active cases, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said two of the new cases were local transmissions while one case was imported.

"The imported case involves a Malaysian who was infected overseas while the two local transmission cases are also Malaysians,” he told a press conference on COVID-19 here today.

Elaborating on the local transmissions, he said one was detected during a pre-procedure screening of a blood cancer patient in Selangor and the other was from a workplace screening at a market in Sandakan, Sabah.

Noor Hisham said four cases were still being treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), with one requiring ventilator support.

Malaysia recorded 18 new cases yesterday and 10 on Saturday.

He said the death toll stands at 121, or 1.4 per cent of the total number of cases, as no fatalities were reported today.

Meanwhile, he said 5,909 people were discharged from quarantine centres on June 10 and placed under the Home Surveillance Order (HSO) to complete their 14-day quarantine, but only 4,437 had undergone COVID-19 tests at health clinics or private clinics on the 13th day.

“Of this number, three cases were confirmed to be positive while 1,472 (of the Person Under Surveillance) still have to undergo COVID-19 screening on the 13th day," he added.

He said anyone who violated the HSO was liable to be fined or jailed, or both.

"The District Health Office together with other agencies involved are empowered to trace the individuals involved and take action against anyone found to have violated the order,” he said.

Noor Hisham urged those returning to Malaysia to cooperate with MOH and to abide by the HSO.

--BERNAMA