‘All cases within prison walls’

DG: Covid-19 spike in Penang isolated from general public

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has recorded 563 new Covid-19 cases, keeping the number of new infections above 500 for a second day straight.

While Sabah saw its daily cases drop to 291 from 488 the previous day, it was Penang that reported a sudden surge in cases – up to 141 infections.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the jump in the Penang figures was due to the Remand Prison cluster.

“Penang recorded a rise in positive cases with 141 new infections but all were from the Remand

Prison cluster in the state.

“All the cases here are within the prison walls and isolated from the community,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

Selangor recorded 69 cases while Kuala Lumpur has 27 new cases.

There is only one import case involving a Malaysian man returning from Indonesia.

Six new clusters have been detected in the country, two of which are in Kuala Lumpur, and one each in Sabah, Selangor, Johor and Putrajaya.

There were two deaths in Sabah. The first fatality was an 85-year-old Malaysian woman with a history of high-blood pressure, heart disease and chronic lung disease. She passed away at Tawau hospital.

The other deceased is a foreigner, 48, who died at the Tuaran hospital.

Malaysia also discharged 109 patients, which means that the total number of recoveries is 11,022 or at a rate of 67.9%.

The total number of active cases in the country has now gone up to 5,036 cases, hitting the 5,000 mark for the first time.

Cumulatively, the country’s total of cases since the outbreak began in January is 16,220.

Currently, 98 people are being treated at intensive care units, with 29 requiring ventilator support.

Dr Noor Hisham also said that more than 500 healthcare workers had been dispatched to several districts in Sabah to help with the spike of Covid-19 cases there.

The 522 healthcare workers from various disciplines were dispatched to Lahad Datu, Tawau, Kota Kinabalu and Semporna.

“Soon, we will send 11 more medical specialists comprising three clinical specialists, and eight medical specialists as well as several other medical officers,” he said.

He also urged more healthcare workers to volunteer to help the ministry curb the third wave.

Dr Noor Hisham assured the public that the ministry had enough stock of personal protective equipment for all hospitals including those in Sabah, adding that it had enough to last for two to three months.