COVID-19 weekly round-up: Positive, active cases skyrocket

KUALA LUMPUR: This week, daily new COVID-19 cases rose in numbers never seen before in this country, with the highest – 691 – recorded on Tuesday (Oct 6).

Three states, Sabah, Kedah and Selangor, continued to rage as COVID-19 hotspots.

Over the 24-hour period up to noon yesterday, 375 new cases were reported of which 303 were categorised as community transmissions while 18 involved prisoners and people on remand.

Another 50 cases were from temporary clusters and four were imported.

Together with yesterday’s new cases, Malaysia’s total number of COVID-19 cases has swelled to 14,368 while active cases have ballooned to 3,703.

Yesterday, five more clusters were announced – two in Sabah, Tujuh Serangkai and Tanamera clusters; one in Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Pantai cluster; one in Sarawak, Bah Arnab cluster; and one in Labuan, Bah Bangat cluster.

Five deaths were reported in Sabah yesterday, bringing Malaysia’s COVID-19 death toll to 146.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said four of the patients who died had a history of chronic illnesses.

One death was reported on Saturday (Oct 3) involving a Malaysian male in Tawau, Sabah, and on Tuesday (Oct 6) there were four fatalities – three in Sabah and one in Penang. One of the Sabah fatalities was a one-year-old Malaysian child who was tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct 5 and died in Hospital Semporna on the same day.

Yesterday, 87 patients were discharged and the cumulative total of recovered cases now stands at 10,427 (77.2 percent of total cases). Sixty patients are in the intensive care unit with 20 requiring respiratory aid.

Dr Noor Hisham, meanwhile, said there was no need, for now, to reopen the low-risk COVID-19 quarantine and treatment centre at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) in Serdang despite the hike in active cases as Hospital Sungai Buloh still has the capacity to accommodate patients.

“If the need arises, we just need three days to reopen the centre (MAEPS),” he said.

For the record, new COVID-19 cases reported this week are as follows: yesterday 375, Wednesday 489, Tuesday 691, Monday 432, Sunday 293, and Saturday 317.

Meanwhile, 301 of the new cases reported between Sept 20 and Oct 8 have a history of travel to Sabah.

In his personal Facebook account on Thursday, Dr Noor Hisham wrote the following: “We’ve now entered the third wave.

The first time he spoke about the third wave was on Oct 2 when Malaysia recorded 287 new cases. He had said that the rising trend in COVID-19 infections was also evident in other countries.

Dr Noor Hisham has previously appealed to Malaysians to unite to stem the rise in COVID-19 cases.

“We cannot win this war to contain or mitigate the virus transmission without public support. All we ask is for the public to ‘Stay at Home’ and if that is not possible then please comply with the simple SOP; wear a mask, safe distancing and frequent hand washing.

“Failure to comply will definitely increase the risk of infection and disease transmission. The public plays a crucial role by fully complying with all SOPs set, regardless of who the person is.”

According to Dr Noor Hisham, Malaysia has thus far reported a total of 147 clusters, out of which 101 have ended.

Currently, 46 clusters, including yesterday’s five new ones, are active.

In Sabah, the clusters that reported new cases yesterday are Ramai-Ramai (six), Laut (five), Benteng LD (three), Tujuh Serangkai (three) and Tanamera (two). Sabah accounted for 271 of the new cases reported yesterday.

In Selangor yesterday, the Meru cluster recorded 12 cases. Selangor accounted for 36 new cases yesterday, including four cases following screening upon their return from a high-risk area (Sabah).

Kedah only accounted for 16 new cases yesterday after having recorded hundreds of new infections over the previous few days. Yesterday, 14 cases were from the Tembok cluster and one from Bah Sintok cluster.

Kuala Lumpur, meanwhile, recorded 10 cases yesterday, including eight from the Jalan Pantai cluster; Labuan had 10 cases including eight from the new Bah Bangat cluster; Sarawak had six cases including three from the new Bah Arnab cluster; Johor five cases; Perak five cases including two from the new Bah Puchong cluster; Terengganu five cases; Negeri Sembilan two cases; Putrajaya two cases; Melaka one case; and Penang one case (Remand cluster).

A 14-day Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) has been imposed in four red zones in the country – three in Sabah (Sandakan, Papar and Tuaran) and Klang, Selangor – starting today to stem the transmission of COVID-19.

It will also enable the health authorities to carry out targeted case detection activities.

During the CMCO period, movements in or out of the four zones are not allowed except for those involved in essential services and factory operations.

The four red zones have a total population of 1.9 million.

-- BERNAMA