Once again, Penang cases edged to the century mark yesterday, 25/10/2020. With the 97 cases, where 94 were part of the Kluster Penjara Seberang Perai, it left three new cases shown to be close contacts; and two of them has now been acknowledged as part of a new cluster in Penang, Kluster Bayan. The other new case was from Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT), Mukim 1.
Now as Penangites digested the numbers, and in particular began to connect the dots, so to speak, details of Kluster Bayan soon showed how the index case 22930 from Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) Mukim 14 who was picked up from “saringan lain-lain” and reported as a case on 21/10, would emerge to be a 31y man (unknowing he was positive) visited Batu Maung wet market, causing it to close for 2 weeks from 22/10, 2pm.
We also start to read of other locations being issued two-week closures by the State Health Department due to being a location visited by a positive case.
All in all, by 25/10, Kluster Bayan has chalked up 6 positive cases, 60 negative and 150 pending results. We shall keep an eye on those. Yet big credit to our KKM (Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia) staff!
They were able to identify and search out the close contacts, test them and finally have it out in the open with no need of speculation, like if it was connected to any of the prison clusters so far, which would be utterly ridiculous!
Nevertheless, there was a remark of how there was at least one close contact individual, tested already but while awaiting result, chose to visit shop(s) in a mall. And was never recognised as a close contact who had been tested and awaiting result, as there was no ring given to the person to wear!
Nor was any given to the shop workers tested, considered now as close contacts of the eventual positive case who went to that eatery. That will need some probing with State Health officers with regards to the kind of protocol they observe.
Sigh .. now a huge breath, and one of relief as the numbers for Kluster Penjara Reman do look promising, as to date 25/10:
Penang Remand Prison cases:
- Total – 454
- Active cases – 123
- Discharged – 331
- (That’s a 72.9% recovery rate, and counting!)
Seberang Perai Prison numbers will still rise as EMCO only kicked in at midnight, 22/10 onwards. There are a total of 3,262 people contained in that Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) Mukim 6 location. From that number: 2,110 are prisoners, 1,000 staff staying in quarters, 120 non-quarters staff, 32 civilian workers.
Expect more positive cases from that prison on the mainland as every single person is tested when an EMCO is implemented.
And thus we must all agree — Covid-19 cases are in majority confined in the two prisons in Penang; a total of 297 out of 312 active cases (correct till 25/10), giving at least 15 cases from the community or 4.8%.
We can never relax our guard. DG Hisham had always emphasized that the virus is in our community, anywhere. We must stay vigilant, continue our regimental masking in public places, and maintaining social distancing.
It’s an ongoing war, but winning small battles on the way bode much encouragement.
- This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of CodeBlue.
