Latest cluster identified in madrasah at Solok Duku

Another new COVID-19 cluster has been identified involving a madrasah at Solok Duku, Masjid Tanah, Melaka.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 107 students, teachers and family members were screened.

"Two positive cases of COVID-19 were found among 35 students and no positive case among 10 teachers and madrasah staff. Two more positive cases of COVID-19 were among 62 family members of teachers, staff and students," he said in a press conference here on Thursday.

As of May 14, 2020, there were six COVID-19 clusters involving tahfiz madrasahs.

Four clusters were a sub-cluster of the rally in Seri Petaling while two others were still under investigation.

To date, 19,209 students, teachers and staff have been identified from 370 madrasahs and tahfiz centres across Malaysia.

Out of this total, 12,384 samples were tested (64.5 per cent) and the results showed 635 COVID-19 positive cases, 10,755 COVID-19 negative cases and 994 cases were still pending.

Based on these screening results, it was found that the positive rate among these risk groups was 5.1 per cent.

"Compared to the situation one week ago (May 7, 2020), the positive rate among these risk groups was 4.4 per cent.

"This trend of positive rate increases is alarming as it shows that the probability of infecting others in this group is increasing," he said.

Of the investigations conducted by the MoH, Dr Noor Hisham said 96 out of 635 people diagnosed with COVID-19 did not have any respiratory symptoms (15.1 per cent).

"This, in turn, could lead to greater transmission of COVID-19 among their family members as well as the local community if preventive measures were not taken," he added.