By News Editor
KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-five new Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, with 12 of them related to the Sivagangga Patient Under Investigation (PUI) cluster.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said there are currently 210 active cases in the cluster and all of them have been isolated to undergo treatment.
Of the 25 new cases, 16 were local transmissions and nine others were imported comprised eight Malaysians and a foreigner.
The imported cases were those who returned from the Philippines (four cases; detected in Sabah), United Arab Emirates (one; Selangor), Djibouti, East Africa (one; Kuala Lumpur), Australia (one; Kuala Lumpur), and Yemen (one; Sarawak).
“Of the 16 local transmissions, 15 of them were Malaysians and one foreigner,” he said in a statement today.
He said 12 of the local transmissions were linked to the Sivagangga PUI cluster, with 10 cases detected in Perlis, one in Kedah and one in Penang, while the others were detected in Perak (two from Influenza Like Illness (ILI) at sentinel clinic, and Kuala Lumpur (one; symptomatic screening case and was sent to Sungai Buloh Hospital), while the foreigner was an illegal immigrant detained in Johor.
“Health Ministry reports 13 more Covid-19 positive cases in Sivagangga PUI Cluster including the 12 new cases reported today. As of Aug 6 noon, 3,246 people have been screened for Covid-19 in this cluster, with 2,320 turned out negative and 883 awaiting test results,” he said.
He said of the 43 found positive with Covid-19, 31 cases were detected in Kedah, 11 in Perlis and one in Penang.
A total of 1,884 close contacts have been identified and would be screened in Perlis and Penang, following the positive cases announced today.
“The ten cases reported in Perlis today, as well as Case 9,002 reported in Perlis on Aug 4, 2020 were from one family. This makes 11 detected cases in Perlis from Sivagangga Cluster.
“Investigation revealed that one of the family members, Case 9,054, which is the second generation of the Cluster, was a regular patron of the eatery stall owned by Case 8,976 (first generation of the Cluster).”
Dr Noor Hisham said Case 9,054’s 10 family members, were third generation of the Cluster, were asymptomatic and were currently being treated at the Tuan Fauziah Hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, Case 9,053 (Kedah) was a close contact to Case 9,035 (husband of Case 90) reported on Aug 6, 2020, while the new case in Penang (Case 9,052) was screened on July 30 after returning to hometown, an area placed under the administrative Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
“Close contact screening and Active Case Detection are ongoing. Preventive measures like disinfection and sanisation have been conducted at places linked to the Cluster.
Dr Noor Hisham said 15 more Covid-19 patients have recovered from the disease and were discharged today.
He said the overall number of patients who have fully recovered as of noon today stood at 8,728 (96.3 per cent) of the cumulative 9,063 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
“Two patients are currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), of whom one of them is under ventilator support.”
Meanwhile, he said no new death was reported to the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC), and the death toll remains 125 (1.38 per cent of the cumulative cases).
He said the public should avoid 3C – confined space, crowded space and close conversation – and practise 3W; wash (hands with water and soap), wear (face masks in public or if suffering Covid-19 symptoms) and warn (reminders from Health Ministry) in efforts to break the chain of Covid-19 infections.
He also reminded the public to adhere to the S.O.P – Standard Operating Procedures, Orang berisiko (protect the vulnerable) like children, babies, elderly people and the disabled; and physical distancing of one metre from one another.–NST
