3,731 new cases, active cases breach 50,000 mark

EMCO at Bentong Prison and Taiping Prison, along with staff quarters, will be extended until Feb 22, says Ismail Sabri

by SHAHEERA AZNAM SHAH / pic by ARIF KARTONO

MALAYSIA’S active Covid-19 cases reached above 50,000 yesterday as 3,731 new positive cases were detected involving 3,723 locally transmitted cases and eight imported.

The new cases brought the country’s cumulative tally to 242,452, the Health Ministry (MoH) said in its daily coronavirus update.

Total active cases stood at 51,241 cases, of which 292 patients are being treated under intensive care, with 140 requiring respiratory aid.

The country also recorded 3,369 recoveries, raising the number of total recovered cases in the country to 190,339 or 78.5% of confirmed cases in Malaysia.

15 new deaths were reported comprising four in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur (KL) (3), Sabah (3), Sarawak (2), Johor (1), Penang (1) and Kedah (1), where all were Malaysians.

Malaysia’s total fatalities are currently tallied at 872 cases, which remain below 1% of total confirmed cases.

Health DG Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement said Selangor remained as the state with the highest number of newly infected cases at 1,606, followed by Johor (499) and KL (372).

“Selangor recorded the highest number of new cases yesterday at 43% or 1,606 cases, of which 1,025 cases or 63.8% were detected from new and existing clusters,” he said.

Health authorities detected seven new clusters yesterday, of which three are work clusters in Selangor and Johor, two from community clusters in Sarawak and Perak, as well as one each from religious and high-risk groups in Perak and Selangor respectively.

Meanwhile, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) imposed at Bentong Prison in Pahang and Taiping Prison in Perak, along with its staff quarters, will be extended until Feb 22.

The EMCO for both prisons began on Jan 25 and Jan 26 for Bentong Prison and Taiping Prison respectively and were initially planned to end today.

“To date, 2,085 screening tests have been conducted involving detainees, prison staff and their close contacts. From the total tests, 767 recorded positive.

“MoH has also confirmed that there are an additional 13 positive cases at the prison reported on Feb 5, 2021,” he said.

For Taiping Prison, Ismail Sabri said the MoH has taken 544 samples from the detainees and prison staff, of which 112 recorded positive involving 90 detainees, 21 staff and a family member.

Meanwhile, the EMCO implemented on the transit block (Muhasabah Block) at Jelebu Prison in Negri Sembilan has ended effective yesterday, said Ismail Sabri.

The movement restriction at the transit block was initially implemented until Jan 24, but was extended due to the high number of cases.

Ismail Sabri added that 789 individuals were arrested on Feb 6 for flouting Covid-19 preventive standard operating procedures (SOPs), of which, 764 were compounded, 21 remanded and four bailed.

Failure to wear face masks registered the highest number of offenders, followed by interstate travel without permission and failure to maintain physical distancing.


Read our earlier report

43% of daily new Covid-19 cases reported in Selangor