KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Health authorities today reported a Covid-19 cluster at an old folks’ home in Kuala Selangor, after confirming a third case among residents.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) said two Covid-19 cases at the residence were detected on May 17 during a screening of aged care homes.
Almost a month later, a third person tested positive for Covid-19 during a screening of severe acute respiratory illness cases when the person was warded at Tanjung Karang Hospital on June 13.
This was the second screening for the person after testing negative the first time during the screening of aged care homes.
As of today, 12 staff and 26 residents at the Kuala Selangor old folks’ home have been screened, with all workers and 24 of the residents testing negative for the coronavirus. The elderly are believed to be more susceptible to developing severe disease from Covid-19.
“Active case detection is being carried out and preventive measures have also been taken, including disinfection,” Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement.
MOH also reported today 41 new Covid-19 cases, including three imported cases. Of the 38 local transmissions, 32 of them are foreigners. Covid-19 cases among the foreigners comprise one case from a Kuala Lumpur factory with cleaning workers, as well as 31 cases in Negri Sembilan.
Fourteen of the Negri Sembilan cases among foreigners are detainees who were transferred to the Immigration Academy Malaysia in Port Dickson from the Bukit Jalil immigration detention centre. Fifteen cases are from the Pedas factory cluster, while two cases are from the cleaning factory cluster.
As for the six local transmissions among Malaysians, one case is from the Kuala Selangor old folks’ home in Selangor, while another Selangor case is a close contact of Patient 8,294.
Two cases among Malaysians were reported in Melaka, comprising a close contact of Patient 7,817 and a case from the screening of tahfiz and madrasah schools.
Negri Sembilan saw one infected Malaysian from the screening of tahfiz and madrasah schools, while another Covid-19 case involving a Malaysian in Sabah was a close contact of deceased Patient 8,403.
No new deaths were reported today, with the Covid-19 death toll remaining at 121, or 1.42 per cent of the total 8,494 coronavirus cases in Malaysia. Total active infectious cases number 973.
Four Covid-19 patients are currently being treated in intensive care, while none need ventilator support.