COVID-19: Malaysia records 9th death, first among healthcare staff

The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced another death in connection with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said it was the first death of a healthcare staff.

"I am sad to inform you that there is one more new death case related to Covid-19 has been reported to the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC).

"The ninth death case (Patient #890) is the first death case among healthcare staff involving a Malaysian citizen. He is a 48-year-old medical doctor attached to the Health Ministry and has a history of travel to Turkey" said Noor Hisham in a Facebook post.

“He was admitted to Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, Kangar on March 17, 2020 after suffering from severe acute respiratory infection.

"He was positively diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 18, 2020 and was given respiratory support since March 19, 2020 after his health deteriorated," he added.

He said the COVID-19 infection case was suspected not from the frontline or frontliners nor from colleagues dealing with COVID-19 patients.

Instead, he said it was related to the history of travelling abroad.