by AZREEN HANI/ FILE PIX 

MALAYSIA detects 1,937 new Covid-19 cases where two are import cases and 1,935 locally transmitted cases.

Selangor recorded highest number cases over 24 hours till noon Saturday (Dec 12) at 823 followed by Sabah (429) and KL (238).

Three new clusters were detected namely Bukit Gemok (Sabah); Cendana Construction Site (KL) and Dang Mutiara (Selangor/Terengganu).

Up to 121 patients are seeking treatment in ICU with 66 of them intubated. There are currently 13,751 active cases nationwide.

Nine new deaths are reported bringing the total fatality to 411 or 0.5% of total cases.

Cumulatively, the country has identified 82,246 cases since the pandemic began in January.

The number of recoveries stood at 68,084 as 911 patients have been discharged today.

Separately, 51 illegal immigrants and a skipper were arrested in Op Benteng yesterday, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The cooperation was conducted with the cooperation of police, Armed Forces, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), and the Malaysian Border Security Agency (AKSEM) also seized six vehicles and two boats.

“The government will be taking firm actions against any parties attempting enter the country illegally and the enforcement agencies will continue to tighten control at the border especially at rat trails,” he said in a statement on Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) today.

Bernama reported 241 individuals were held for defying RMCO yesterday with 202 issued compounds and 39 remanded for failing to provide customer entry recording equipment (78), not wearing face mask (77); failure to observe physical distancing (43); entertainment activities (41); and others (2).

On mandatory quarantine, Ismail Sabri said 86,398 individuals have returned home since July 24 to yesterday and they were placed at 78 hotels as well as 19 public training institutes and private education institutions nationwide.