COVID-19: 101 new cases today, no deaths

Four of the new cases were imported involving one Malaysian and a Myanmar national (two cases in Sarawak, Saudi Arabian (one case in Sarawak), and Nigerian (one case in Selangor).

"Of the 97 local transmissions, 93 cases involved Malaysians and four foreigners.

"A total of 17 of them have a history of having travelled to Sabah, taking the number of cases (from this group) to 63 since September,” he told a press conference on COVID-19 development here today.

There were 50 recoveries reported today, bringing the cumulative total recoveries to 9,939 cases or 89.3 per cent of the overall cases.

Dr Noor Hisham said 13 cases are currently being treated in the intensive care unit, with five needing ventilator support.

No deaths were recorded today, with the death toll remaining at 134 or 1.20 per cent of the total number of cases.

On the 97 local transmissions today, he said 73 involved cases in Sabah, with 51 from the Bangau-Bangau Cluster (48 Malaysians and three foreigners); eight from the symptomatic screening (Malaysians); three from the new Jalan Bomba Cluster (Malaysians); two from the Benteng LD Cluster (Malaysians); two from Quarters Cluster (Malaysians); two from the new Jalan Utara Cluster (Malaysians); one referral screening to the Sandakan Hospital (Malaysian); one close contact screening of the 11,119th patient (Malaysian); one screening at the international entry point (Malaysian); one health worker screening (Malaysian); and one community screening (Malaysian).

Dr Noor Hisham said 14 cases were detected in Selangor, of which nine were from the screening of those returning from high-risk areas (Sabah) involving Malaysians; two close contact screening of cases number 10,776 and 11,129; one from the new Benteng PK Cluster (Malaysians); one from the Jalan Apas Cluster (Malaysian); and one screening case before returning to the country of origin involving a foreigner.

The other local transmissions involved two cases in Johor from the new Bakawali Cluster (Malaysians); as well as one each in Kuala Lumpur, Kedah, Perak, Melaka, Kelantan, Penang, Putrajaya and Perlis, which involved the screening of Malaysians returning from Sabah.

Commenting on the statement issued by a shopping mall, which has gone viral, regarding an employee who tested positive for COVID-19, Dr Noor Hisham said the Ministry of Health (MOH) appreciated its proactive action in helping out with control and preventive measures.

However, the MOH will need to carry out detailed investigations before it can declare any area a hotspot, considering the fact that the determination of a hotspot is based on the locality of the positive case and its potential to spread the COVID-19 virus.

"The MOH must carry out an evaluation on the risk and infectivity rate before it can announce if any place has the potential to be the cause for spreading the virus,” he said.