COVID-19: 153 new cases, tally now at 1,183

Another 153 new COVID-19 cases were reported as of noon today, raising the total number of confirmed cases to 1,183 in the country, Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

Out of the 153 new cases, 90 were linked to the tabligh assembly cluster at Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling.

“We expect the number of cases to rise next week and urge tabligh members involved to come for screening.”

“Patients’ identities cannot be revealed without their permission.”

A total of 37 COVID-19 cases are being treated at the intensive care unit (ICU) and of this number, 23 required respiratory aid.

Noor Hisham also confirmed that 19 Health Ministry staff and five private healthcare workers have been confirmed to be positive COVID-19.

Meanwhile, one COVID-19 patient has died on Saturday, bringing the number of fatalities in the country so far to four. The the latest death was of a 50-year-old Malaysian man, Case 238 who was from the tabligh cluster.

"He was admitted to the Melaka Hospital on March 12 with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI). He started using respiratory aid on the fifth day of admission to the isolation ward and while under care in the ICU.

"His health had deteriorated by the day since his admission and he was confirmed to have died at 1.30 am on March 21," he told a daily press briefing on COVID-19 at the Health Ministry.