5TH STRAIGHT DAY BELOW 2,000 CASES
But yesterday’s 1,448 cases are a slight increase from Tuesday’s 1,280
ALTHOUGH the number of new Covid-19 cases remains below 2,000 for the fifth day in a row, Malaysia saw a slight increase in infections at 1,448 yesterday.
This was 168 more than on Tuesday when 1,280 cases were logged.
Yesterday’s figures bring the number of active cases to 18,010, which are lower than Tuesday’s number of active cases (18,704).
Malaysia’s total number of cases is 317,717.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said yesterday 1,438 of the 1,448 infections were local transmissions, which involved 878 Malaysians and 560 foreigners.
“There are 10 imported cases involving one local person and nine foreigners.”
Dr Noor Hisham said Selangor topped the list with 561 cases.
“From that total, 484 cases were recorded from clusters and close-contact screenings.
“Johor has 273 cases and Sarawak has 199.”
He said 15 cases were linked to prisons and immigration detention centre clusters. These were the Tembok Pengkalan Chepa cluster (five), Telok Mas cluster (five), DTI Persiaran Wawasan cluster (two), Tembok Taiping cluster (one), Tembok Tapah cluster (one) and Tembok Bendera (one).
He said 151 patients were being treated in intensive care units, with 72 requiring ventilator aid.
He said 2,137 people recovered yesterday, raising overall recoveries to 298,516.
Five deaths were recorded, comprising four Malaysian men and a Malaysian woman aged between 43 and 72.
“The fatalities were recorded in Selangor (two) and one each in Melaka, Johor and Sabah.”
All five had underlying health conditions. The death toll stood at 1,191.
He said five new clusters were detected yesterday, with two each in Selangor and Johor, and one in Sarawak. The two Selangor clusters — Dagang Permai (workplace infections) and Sungai Puteh (community infections) — were detected in Hulu Langat.
“The Dagang Permai cluster saw 16 people testing positive, while the Sungai Puteh cluster has 21 cases.”
In Johor, the Parit Penyengat Darat cluster in Muar involved 124 people who tested positive, while the Pona cluster in Johor Baru, involving a cargo ship anchored at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas on March 6, has eight cases.
The crew were screened prior to departure and the ship had come from Surabaya, Indonesia.
In Sarawak, the Melor cluster in Pusa, Betong, has 14 cases.
There are 1,217 clusters, with 449 classified as active. The remaining 768 clusters have ended, including 13 clusters that ended yesterday.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham conveyed his wishes for Assistant Medical Officers Day, which is marked annually on March 10.
“The role of an assistant medical officer is very important to ensure the public’s health is taken care of and the people receive the best services.
“Hopefully, this group can continue to play an important role and work together as a team with other medical professionals, especially in curbing the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said it was the 10th year the day had been marked.
Meanwhile, Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said police nabbed 451 people for flouting standard operating procedures (SOP) under the Conditional Movement Control Order on Tuesday.
From that total, 393 were slapped with compounds, and 58 were remanded by the police.
Among the offences were failure to provide customers’ registration log (129), entertainment centre activities (82), failure to practise physical distancing (79), prostitution (75), interstate and interdistrict travel without permission (28), failure to wear face masks (49), and premises operating beyond permitted hours (nine).
The Enhanced Movement Control Order at several blocks at the Sibu Jaya Flats in Sarawak will be lifted as scheduled today.