Minister Zulkifli’s 90 Contacts, Including NSC Meeting Attendees, Test Negative For Covid

Religious affairs minister Zulkifli Mohamad is in stable condition, says Health DG Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Ninety close contacts of Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad identified by health authorities so far have tested negative for Covid-19, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced today.

These individuals who tested negative for the coronavirus on their first test include all those who had attended the October 3 National Security Council (NSC) meeting in Putrajaya together with Zulkifli.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba, Dr Noor Hisham, senior ministers, and other Cabinet members had attended the special high-level NSC meeting to discuss the sharp surge of coronavirus infections in the country.

“The district health office will continue to identify [Zulkifli’s] other close contacts and we will inform the public about the situation from time to time,” Dr Noor Hisham told a virtual press conference from his home quarantine.

“He is in stable condition.”

The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced another record high 691 new Covid-19 cases today, following consecutive daily spikes of above 250 infections since October 1.

Zulkifli — who returned to Kuala Lumpur from Sabah on September 24, before mandatory testing and home quarantine till first test result kicked in for Sabah arrivals from September 27 — announced yesterday that he had tested positive for Covid-19, as he urged everyone who attended events he had joined from September 24 to October 4 to get tested.

Dr Noor Hisham said in a statement that the test results of the minister, whom he did not name, were confirmed yesterday to be positive and that the individual did not show symptoms. MOH did not specify when Zulkifli got tested or whether the minister himself had volunteered to get tested.

The Malay Mail reported that from September 24 to October 4, according to Zulkifli’s social media posts, the religious affairs minister had attended public events in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Negri Sembilan, as well as universities. The minister was often pictured not wearing face masks and even engaging in physical contact with other people.

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