Cases back to single digit, says DG

‘Over 300 active cases left with one new cluster discovered in Bintulu’

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia’s daily Covid-19 cases have gone back to the single digit zone, with only six new infections recorded as of yesterday noon.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the six cases, two are imported, while another four are local transmissions found in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Sarawak.

With 70 more patients discharged and no additional deaths reported, the country now only has 344 active cases left at its health facilities.

There are only three people who are under intensive care, with none requiring ventilator support.

Cumulatively, Malaysia has 8,535 positive cases, 8,070 recoveries and 121 deaths.

Dr Noor Hisham also announced that six cases found in Kidurong, Bintulu, have been classified as a new cluster.

“The index case is a student of a public university who tested positive on June 12.

“Our subsequent active detection activity found that the student’s family members – mother, father and two siblings – are also positive.

“A friend of the index case’s father also tested positive, making this the country’s latest cluster,” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 231 close contacts have been identified. A total of 163 of them have been screened and all tested negative.

“The source of the infection is still under investigation,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

On the Covid-19 outbreak at the country’s immigration detention centres, Dr Noor Hisham said the situation is well under the ministry’s control.

“Those who test positive are isolated for treatment. Those who are negative were quarantined for 14 days, where we repeated tests on them.

“Through the repeat tests, we have also detected more cases, and subsequently, the patients are transferred to hospitals for treatment.

“More importantly, they are under our monitoring and not out among the community, so they cannot infect others,” he said.

In total, the ministry has detected 776 positive cases at four immigration depots -- Bukit Jalil, Semenyih, Sepang and Putrajaya.

A total of 8,280 detainees and staff at the depots have screened, with some 83% of the cases detected at Bukit Jalil.

Most of the positive cases have been discharged, said Dr Noor Hisham.

He said the Malaysia Agro

Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) Covid-19 hospital, which has been housing positive cases among undocumented migrants, has only 11 patients left.

On the reopening of the country’s borders, Dr Noor Hisham said six green zone countries have been identified by Malaysia -- Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.

“We are in the early stage of discussions with these countries to come up with the necessary standard operating procedures (to allow their citizens into Malaysia).

“Whatever we come up with must be mutual and reciprocal.”