COVID-19: Five deaths in EMCO areas - Health DG

He said the deaths involved patients in Case 1114, Case 2627, Case 1649, and Case 1251 from Bandar Baru Ibrahim Majid and its surrounding area, as well as Case 1906 from the Menara Plaza City One.

Following the implementation of the EMCO in those areas, he said 13,277 samples were collected for COVID-19 detection tests and 796 of them were tested positive.

“As of April 20, the government has, in stages, issued six EMCOs, involving 10 localities, namely for Bandar Baru Ibrahim Majid and its surrounding areas, Kampung Sungai Lui and its surrounding areas, Menara Plaza City One, Malayan Mansion and Selangor Mansion buildings, as well as Masjid India and its surrounding areas.

“Latest, the Pusat Bandar Utara Kuala Lumpur (KL North) and the surrounding areas of Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market and its surrounding areas have also been placed under the EMCO,” he told the daily press conference on COVID-19 at the Ministry of Health here today.

Dr Noor Hisham said the EMCO had been enforced in several high-risk locations since March 27 to assist the MOH in conducting focused approach activities to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections, such as population census, house-to-house active case detection (ACD), sample collection, disinfection activities and health promotion.

He said that in cases where the residents were tested positive for COVID-19, they would be immediately isolated and treated.

Meanwhile, he said seven clusters showed an increase in new cases today.

“For the East Java’s Magetan regency cluster, there have been 11 new cases; Kuching church gathering cluster, three cases; and the Bali cluster of person under investigation (PUI), two cases.

“The Italy PUI cluster, Sendayan cluster, Kuching healthcare cluster, and Wholesale Market cluster, each recorded one case,” he said.

So far, there are over 30 active COVID-19 clusters detected in the country, he added.