Covid-19: 1,472 new cases, 2 clusters detected

Selangor recorded the highest number with 891 cases, of which 778 cases were from the Teratai cluster

by S BIRRUNTHA / pic by ARIF KARTONO

THE Ministry of Health reported 1,472 new Covid-19 positive cases in the country yesterday, involving 1,467 local transmissions and five import cases.

Health DG Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Selangor recorded the highest number yesterday with 891 cases, of which 778 cases were from Top Glove Corp Bhd-linked Teratai cluster involving foreign workers at several factories in the districts of Klang, Kuala Selangor and Kepong.

He also added that Sabah recorded 267 cases yesterday, followed by Negri Sembilan (146) and Johor (68).

Other states with new cases yesterday were Penang (29), Kuala Lumpur (26), Kedah (21), Perak (13), Kelantan (10) and Sarawak (one).

“Over the past few weeks, states across Malaysia have shown a more stable number of daily Covid-19 cases.

“Most of the cases reported recently are from construction sites and factories,” Dr Noor Hisham said in his Covid-19 statement yesterday.

The increase in new cases brought the country’s overall total to 67,169.

There are now 10,495 active Covid-19 cases being treated at health facilities nationwide.

Among active cases yesterday, 120 were placed in the intensive care units, with 44 of them requiring respiratory aid.

Meanwhile, 1,552 patients were discharged, increasing the total recovered cases in the country to 56,311 or 83.9%.

Three new Covid-19 deaths were also recorded in Sabah yesterday.

The deceased, two of whom had critical illnesses, were aged between 24 and 64. This brought the country’s Covid-19 death toll to 363.

Dr Noor Hisham said Sabah also recorded two new Covid-19 clusters yesterday, which were detected in the region of Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran.

He said the first cluster, View Kolombong, was detected in the Kota Kinabalu and Tuaran districts, which to date has infected 40 individuals.

The second cluster, known as Talang, was detected in Kota Kinabalu and it has infected 18 individuals, he said.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a total of 311 individuals were arrested for violating the Movement Control Order on Monday.

He added that of the total number of arrests, 306 were compounded, while five were remanded.

Ismail Sabri said most of the offences were for failing to wear face masks, failure to practise physical distancing, failure to provide equipment for registration, participating in activities at entertainment centres and travelling interstate or inter-district without a permit.

As for Ops Benteng, Ismail Sabri said the authorities detained 14 illegal immigrants and seized three boats, as well as one land vehicle.

From July 24 until Monday, a total of 79,128 people returned to Malaysia from abroad and were placed at 78 hotels and 17 public training institutes, as well as institute of private studies.

From the total, 11,270 individuals were undergoing mandatory quarantine, while 502 individuals were sent to hospitals for treatment.