by BERNAMA / pic by BERNAMA

After a record high 691 cases were reported yesterday, a total of 489 new COVID-19 positive cases were recorded and two new clusters detected in the past 24 hours, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said of the 489 cases, 487 were local transmissions, while the other two were imported cases.

“Of the 487 local transmissions, 467 involved Malaysians and 20 foreigners while the two imported cases involved a Malaysian and a foreigner returning from India and Maldives,” he said in a statement on COVID-19 today.

The latest development also sees the cumulative total number of cases rising to 13,993 and active cases with infectivity potential at 3,351.

There were 74 recoveries, taking the cumulative total recoveries to 10,501 cases or 75.0 of the total number of cases.

No fatalities were reported today and the death toll remains at 141 or 1.01 per cent of the total number of cases.

Meanwhile, 40 patients are currently being treated in the intensive care unit, with 13 needing ventilator support.

Detailing the breakdown of the cases today, Dr Noor Hisham said 139 of the cases were from the Tembok Cluster, namely the Alor Setar and Pokok Sena prisons, in Kedah.

“This comprises 28.4 per cent of today’s total number of cases and all the positive cases from the Tembok Cluster were from those isolated under the administrative Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in prison. This means they are isolated from society,” he said.

He said another 15 cases involved returnees from Sabah, bringing the number of cases with a travel history to the state since Sept 20 to 283.

The breakdown of local transmissions according to states is as follows: Sabah (282 cases); Kedah (153); Selangor (19); Penang (seven); Johor (six); Perak and Terengganu (four each); Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak (three each); Pahang and Putrajaya (two each); Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan (one each).