by SHAHEERA AZNAM SHAH / pic by RAZAK GHAZALI
MALAYSIA recorded 957 new Covid-19 cases as of noon yesterday, totalling the country’s active cases to 10,036.
Health DG Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham (picture) Abdullah said all of the cases were found to be locally transmitted, with Sabah leading the states at 644 or 67.3%, followed by the Klang Valley — Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, with 230 or 24% of the total cases.
“All four places contribute to about 91.3% of the daily cases recorded and it is due to the extensive contact tracing efforts done in areas which are undergoing the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO),” he said in a statement yesterday.
To date, Malaysia recorded 32,505 positive coronavirus cases with 22,220 cases or 68.4% recoveries and no new fatality.
The Healthy Ministry also detected two new clusters — Usaha and Tembaga, recording 24 cases in total.
The Usaha cluster involved the Klang and Petaling districts in Selangor with its index case tested positive on Oct 30.
The tracing from the index case’s close contacts detected 16 individuals positive with the coronavirus and all are currently receiving treatment at the Sungai Buloh Hospital.
For the Tembaga cluster, which centralises in north-east and south-west of Penang, the index case was detected through a Severe Acute Respiratory Infections testing on Oct 28.
The ministry also detected six positive individuals from the index case’s close contacts and they had all been admitted to the Penang Hospital.
A combined 52 of the close contacts of the index cases from both clusters are still awaiting their results.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said in a press briefing that the government is making necessary plans to manage the likelihood of an increase in positive cases during the monsoon season.
He said temporary accommodations during evacuation efforts could be the factor in the spreading of the coronavirus as flood victims are generally placed in confined spaces and forced to share amenities.
On movement restriction compliance, 485 individuals were arrested as of yesterday noon for flouting the orders.
Ismail Sabri said of the total, 480 people were issued compounds, while five people were remanded.
Among the offences were failure to wear face masks (162), disobey social distancing (123), failure to provide customers’ records (79), operate entertainment premises (25) and extend business hours (13).
The task force which included the police conducted 52,552 inspections at 3,449 supermarkets, 4,288 restaurants, 1,245 hawker stalls and 1,947 farmers’ markets.
The checks also included 2,991 religious premises and 1,290 recreational areas.
Ismail Sabri said between July 24 and Oct 31, 59,061 Malaysians returned to the country and 10,035 of them were being quarantined at 62 hotels and 19 premises including public training institutes and private learning institutes.
He said as of yesterday, 381 of the individuals were detected positive and had sought treatments, while 48,645 individuals were allowed to return home.
Ismail Sabri also said the EMCO on the Alor Setar prison in Kedah, which was extended until Nov 1, would end today as no new cases had been reported.