KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) identified a new Covid-19 cluster in Sabah today at the Lahad Datu district police headquarters’ lockup, with seven positive cases so far.
The seven asymptomatic Covid-19 cases from the Benteng LD cluster, identified during a screening of new detainees, involved one Malaysian and six undocumented migrants from the Philippines and Indonesia. Five coronavirus cases from the cluster were newly reported today.
A total of 50 detainees were screened on August 28. Of them, seven tested positive and 43 people negatively tested for the coronavirus.
Active case detection and screening of close contacts are still ongoing while the cause of the infection is under investigation.
MOH reported one death today from the Tawar cluster, bringing the total number of Covid-19 deaths in the country to 128.
This is the second Covid-19 death reported in the Tawar cluster. The 80-year-old victim (Patient 9174) was a Malaysian female and has a history of lung cancer and high blood pressure.
She began to experience symptoms of fever and chest pain since August 6 and has been admitted to a medical centre. Later on August 14, she was transferred to Penang Hospital after testing positive for Covid-19.
Of the 14 new Covid-19 cases reported today, nine were local transmissions (five from Benteng LD cluster, one from Tawar cluster, one from Telaga cluster, and two unlinked community cases), as well as five imported cases.
With the two new cases reported in the Tawar and Telaga clusters respectively, bringing the total number of reported cases in the Tawar cluster has risen to 75.
So far, 64 people positively tested in Kedah from the 17,335 people who were screened under the Tawar cluster.
A total of 15,853 individuals tested negative and 1,418 individuals are still waiting for test results.
In Penang, of the 534 individuals who were screened, 11 people were detected positive and 523 individuals tested negative for the coronavirus. In Perak, all of the 11 people who were screened tested negative for the virus.
The Telaga cluster in Kedah recorded six Covid-19 cases so far. Of the 1,008 people who were screened, 968 individuals tested negative and 33 people are still waiting for the test results.
The index patient (Patient 9,284) from the Telaga cluster tested positive with the coronavirus on August 30.
Sabah recorded another two new Covid-19 cases besides the Benteng LD cluster. One of the cases was identified in a screening of a detainee and another case who was admitted in the Lahad Datu hospital had severe acute respiratory infection — both Malaysians.
Two districts in Sabah have now turned yellow, with Lahad Datu reporting five local Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks and Kinabatangan reporting one case.
According to Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the five imported cases today involved returnees from Ukraine, Pakistan, Indonesia and the Philippines, bringing the total number of Covid-19 infections in the country to 9,354 with 151 active cases.
Today, 21 people were discharged from hospital bringing the total number of recoveries to 9,075.
Five Covid-19 patients are receiving treatment in the intensive care unit, with three under ventilator support.
