PUTRAJAYA: Two clusters closely connected to a large gathering of people have been identified as contributing factors to the drastic increase in the number of positive Covid-19 cases, Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.
He said investigations conducted by the Health Ministry found that the two clusters involved a religious assembly in Kuching, Sarawak, and a wedding in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor.
He said the religious programme was held for three days in a church.
“So far, 83 people have been confirmed positive for Covid-19 were from this cluster, with two deaths, while five critical cases are in the intensive care unit, and 50 are being treated in hospital.
“Meanwhile 24 cases are under observation in the quarantine centre while one case has been discharged after full recovery,” he said in the daily press conference on Covid-19 at the Health Ministry.
Dr Noor Hisham said in the case of the wedding, it was a cluster of Covid-19 infections which later developed into fifth-generation infections.
“As of today, 88 cases have been confirmed positive for Covid-19 from this cluster, including one case which is being treated in the intensive care unit. However, there were no deaths reported linked to this cluster,” he added.
He said both clusters involved fifth-generation Covid-29 infections.
For the record, these two clusters were among the largest clusters linked to large gatherings after the assembly in Sri Petaling Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Noor Hisham urged the public not to blame or discriminate against any patient or group of people connected to clusters of Covid-19 infections.
“Do not stigmatise them. What is important is that we help to detect and treat the infections among those affected, their families and contacts,” he stressed.
Dr Noor Hisham also announced 236 fully recovered cases, the highest number ever recorded in a single day.
This brings the cumulative number of Covid-19 patients who have fully recovered and discharged to 1,241 – 32.72% of the total number of cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said as at noon today, 131 new cases have been reported, bringing the total number of Covid-19 positive cases in Malaysia to 3,793 cases. Of the total, 102 are being treated in the intensive care units, and of these, 54 require respiratory assistance.
According to the latest report from the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) he said, there has been only one additional case of Covid-19 related death, bringing the total number of deaths to 62 or 1.63% of the total number of cases.
The latest fatality is a 67-year-old Malaysian with a history of diabetes and hypertension who was in close contact with several Covid-19 positive cases linked to the cluster from the Sri Petaling tabligh assembly, he added. – April 6, 2020, Bernama
