The total number of cases has recorded the highest local transmissions so far at 259

by HARIZAH KAMEL / pic by ARIF KARTONO

MALAYSIA recorded the second-highest Covid-19 cases at 260 yesterday, with 259 cases being local transmissions and only one imported case.

The highest infections were recorded on June 4 with 277 cases, where the majority of them were reported in Bukit Jalil immigration detention centre.

Health DG Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the 259 cases in the country, 130 were Malaysians and 129 were non-citizens.

“From the 259 cases as well, 31 cases have a history of travel to Sabah,” he said in a press conference yesterday.

Sabah recorded the highest number of cases with a total of 118, followed closely by Kedah (98), Kuala Lumpur (14) and Selangor (13).

The current active cases totalled to 1,334 and that 20 people were being treated at intensive care units with three requiring ventilator support yesterday.

He also said 47 cases recovered, making the cumulative number of cases that have fully recovered now exceeds five figures, which is 10,014 cases or 87.2%.

Currently, no new fatality was recorded, bringing the country’s death toll to 136 or 1.18% of the total cases.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry is aware of the increasing cases lately which is probably the beginning of a new wave.

“It is up to us now to flatten the curve, we have done it before and we can do it again. As compared to when we were in March, we have the experience now, but we need the collaboration of each and every one of us, so that we can comply with the standard operating procedures,” he said.

Besides that, he said the Ministry of Health (MoH) will be monitoring the whole cases and that the next two weeks will be very crucial for the ministry as they will re-setup in terms of mandatory testing for all returnees from Sabah.

Earlier, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that a 14-day inter-district travel ban will be carried out in the state of Sabah.

“The government has decided to implement an inter-district control order throughout Sabah which will take effect from 12.01pm on Oct 3 until Oct 16.

“However, essential services such as food, medical, security and other necessities are allowed to travel across the district,” he said in a statement.

He explained that during the period, those who are being quarantined and whose quarantine period will expire are allowed to return to their respective district or return to the peninsula, Sarawak and Labuan.

He also said the Targeted Enhanced Movement Control Order (TEMCO) in four districts, namely Tawau, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna will remain as usual and that any further information will be updated to the public by the Sabah government.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri said the police arrested 98 individuals on Wednesday for violating the Recovery MCO.

Of this number, 95 people were compounded and three were remanded, while under Ops Benteng, the authorities arrested 59 undocumented migrants and compounded one boat and three land vehicles.

Additionally, he urged the public to not be influenced by and spread fake news, instead they must check the validity of the news before spreading.

“It should be noted that disseminators can also be prosecuted,” he warned.

He said MoH has never published the names of those infected as it is subject to the Personal Data Protection Act and that any party who discloses the information can be prosecuted.

Ismail Sabri emphasised that only MoH can determine if a public area has a positive case, the same goes for the 14-day quarantine instruction where only MoH can issue letters to individuals who either have close contact with Covid-19 positive patients or have symptoms.