COVID-19: Imported, new cluster cases contribute to three-digit active infections

A bulk of the new cases reported this week involved imported cases and infections emerging from three new clusters, namely Kurau (Penang), Meranti (Kuala Lumpur) and the latest Tawar (Kedah).

Out of the 15 new cases reported over the 24-hour period up to noon yesterday, 11 were local transmissions with nine of them contributed by the Tawar cluster.

The four remaining new cases were imported and involved Malaysians – three were returning from Indonesia and one from Yemen.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia now stood at 9,129 and active cases 183.

Four patients were discharged from hospital yesterday, bringing the total number of recoveries to 8,821 (96.6 percent of total cases).

Two patients are currently being treated at the intensive care unit with none requiring respiratory aid. The death toll, meanwhile, remains at 125 (1.37 percent of total cases).

New COVID-19 cases reported during the week under review are as follows: Wednesday 11 (eight imported); Tuesday nine (five imported); Monday 11 (five imported); Sunday 13 (nine imported); and Saturday (Aug 8) seven (six imported).

The Tawar cluster announced by Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday mainly involves individuals from the mukim of Tawar in Kedah.

Its index case, Case 9,113, is a Malaysian male trader who tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. This cluster reported nine cases (all family members of the index case) yesterday.

The index case had a history of attending a religious event on July 31 to commemorate the death of a family member.

So far, 86 close contacts of the index case have been screened. Nine tested positive and 21 negative while 56 are awaiting test results.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health announced two new clusters, namely Kurau and Meranti.

As of Tuesday, 180 close contacts of the Kurau cluster index case from Perak and Penang were screened. Five tested positive and 123 negative while 52 are awaiting results.

The Meranti cluster was detected after Case 9083, a healthcare worker, tested positive on Aug 8. The patient was found to be a contact of Case 8968 who tested positive for COVID-19 during a pre-surgery screening.

Investigations showed that Case 8968 had a history of seeking treatment at a health facility where Case 9083 worked. As of Aug 9, 15 close contacts were screened and two tested positive.

As for the Sivagangga PUI (persons under investigation) cluster, as of Aug 11, a total of 5,645 people have been screened. The number of positive cases from this cluster remains at 45. The “super spreader” index case, a restaurant owner from Kedah, is a permanent resident who had returned from India on July 13.

A photograph of him sitting at his restaurant had gone viral on social media as he had violated his home quarantine order. Yesterday, the Jitra Magistrate’s Court sentenced the man, Nezar Mohamed Sabur Batcha, 57, to five months’ jail and fined him RM12,000 for defying a quarantine order issued under the Recovery Movement Control Order.