KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Malaysia reported a record high 432 new Covid-19 cases today since the start of the outbreak last January, the fifth straight day of infections over 200 since October 1 with 260 cases.
That brings the active Covid-19 cases in the country to 2,336, with coronavirus patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) rising to 32, including eight on ventilator support.
The 432 new cases reported today comprised 429 local transmissions and three imported cases. About 52 per cent of the 432 cases, or 224 cases, came from the Tembok cluster that was first discovered in a prison in Alor Star, Kedah.
Twenty-nine cases had Sabah travel history, leading to a total of 235 coronavirus cases reported since September 20 who previously visited Sabah.
Three new clusters were reported today, two in Kedah and one in Terengganu. Some active clusters have crossed state lines, such as the Tembok cluster with 653 total cases so far across Kedah and Perak.
The Jalan Meru cluster spans Selangor, Johor, Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with 48 cases so far. Both the Selasih and Seri Setia clusters have recorded nine and six cases so far respectively across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya. The Sungai cluster with 101 cases so far has been detected in Kedah and Perlis.
Kedah (241 Cases, Two New Clusters)
From the 432 total new Covid-19 cases reported nationwide, 55.79 per cent of the total cases, or 241 cases, were recorded in Kedah and two new clusters identified in the state.
A total of 224 cases were recorded under the Tembok cluster. The Sungai and Bah Ketil cluster recorded a case each.
The newly identified Bah Sintok cluster was reported in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, with a 23-year-old male index patient (Patient 12,072) who returned from Sabah on September 20. The patient has had symptoms like fever, flu and headache since September 22.
The patient was detected with Covid-19 on October 2. Following that, a close contact screening was conducted and 11 more positive cases were reported. Of the 165 individuals who have been screened, 61 individuals tested negative for the coronavirus while 92 people are still waiting for the test result. The cause of the infection is still under investigation.
The second cluster, Jeram, was identified in Kubang Pasu too, with a 31-year-old female index patient (Patient 11,211). The patient had a cough and headache since September 25 and positively tested with the coronavirus on September 29.
Following that, a close contact screening was conducted. So far, this cluster has recorded four Covid-19 cases. Fifty individuals have been negatively tested from the total of 65 people whereas 11 people are still waiting for the test result. The cause of the infection is still under investigation.
Sabah (130 Cases)
More than half of the 130 new Covid-19 cases in Sabah are unlinked cases, whose sources of transmission were unknown.
Sabah is the second largest state affected by Covid-19, with a total of 2,519 Covid-19 cases since the start of the Malaysian outbreak. The state recorded today 72 sporadic cases (55.38 per cent), whereby 57 cases were detected in a symptomatic screening.
Six individuals were tested positive in a health worker screening. A workplace screening in the state identified three Covid-19 cases, whereas a community screening and severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) screening identified two cases each.
An influenza-like illness (ILI) screening and pre-surgical screening identified one positive case each in Sabah.
The Bangau-Bangau cluster recorded 39 Covid-19 cases and Benteng Lahad Datu cluster registered three cases. A close contact screening identified 16 new Covid-19 cases in the state.
Selangor (34 Cases)
Half of the cases reported in Selangor had Sabah travel history
Selangor recorded 34 cases today, with 17 cases or 50 per cent of them, having previously travelled to high-risk zones in Sabah.
The Jalan Meru cluster recorded nine cases, whereas the Seri Anggerik cluster registered three cases. One case was detected in the Benteng PK cluster.
Three unlinked community cases were detected in a SARI screening, symptomatic screening and ship-off sign screening. The three screenings recorded one case each. Another case was identified in a close contact screening.
Terengganu (Five Cases, One New Cluster)
Of the five new Covid-19 cases in Terengganu, three cases were reported in a newly identified Bah Tanjung cluster. This cluster was identified in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. The index patient (Patient 11,477) is a 46-year-old Malaysian man who had travelled to Semporna, Sabah from September 10 to 27.
The patient had a sore throat and fever since September 28 and he was positively detected with Covid-19 on September 30.
Following that, close contact screening was conducted and six more positive cases were identified. All these positive cases involved Malaysian citizens.
As of today, a total of 245 individuals have been screened and seven individuals were positively detected. A total of 113 individuals tested negative while 125 individuals are still waiting for the test results. The cause of the infection is still under investigation.
The balance two cases in Terengganu were detected through a close contact screening.
Covid-19 Cases In Other States
In Kuala Lumpur, of the five Covid-19 cases, the Seri Setia cluster registered two cases and one case was detected under the Jalan Meru cluster. Two more positive cases had been to high-risk zones in Sabah.
Labuan registered four cases, whereas Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Melaka and Pahang registered one case each and all of the cases had a history of travel to Sabah.
Johor, Perak and Putrajaya listed two Covid-19 cases each.
Of the two cases in Johor, one had Sabah travel history while another case was detected in a SARI screening.
Perak registered a case who had visited Sabah previously and another case was detected in a hospital admission screening.
The two cases in Putrajaya were recorded under the Selasih cluster.
The death toll in the country stays at 137 as no new death has been recorded today. A total of 57 patients have recovered as of today, bringing the total recoveries to 10,340 or 80.70 per cent.
