1,472 Covid cases, with highest number in S’gor

Records 891 infections, 778 from Teratai cluster, says Health DG

PETALING JAYA: Selangor accounted for 891 of the 1,472 new Covid-19 cases recorded nationwide yesterday.

A total of 778 new infections in the state came from the Teratai cluster.

“The Teratai cluster also contributed to 87.3% of the daily cases in Selangor,” Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement.

However, a total of 1,552 recoveries exceeded the number of new infections recorded over the last 24 hours.

Noor Hisham said Malaysia has shown a more stable total for daily cases over the week, with a large portion coming from construction sites and factories.

“The high figure follows the expansion of active screening and detection of close contacts in the field,” he said.

Since its announcement on Nov 7, a total of 6,603 individuals had been screened in the Teratai cluster and of the total, 5,056 cases were positive, involving 331 (6.5%) locals and 4,725 (93.5%) foreigners.

A total of 1,501 individuals were found to be negative while 46 were awaiting results. All positive cases have been isolated. “The Health Ministry welcomes the announcement by Senior Minister (Security) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to extend the enhanced movement control order at the factory workers’ hostel from Dec 1 to Dec 14.”

Noor Hisham said the employer had been instructed to stop operations and to close the factory in stages to conduct screening on all its employees.

Health personnel have

also been deployed to the affected areas to assist in control and prevention operations.

Of the total new cases recorded yesterday, five were imported.

“To date, there are 120 Covid cases being treated at intensive care units, with 44 cases requiring respiratory assistance.”

Three deaths were recorded, all from Sabah, bringing the total number to 363, he added.

The deaths involved a 64-year-old woman who had diabetes, high blood pressure and colon cancer, a 51-year-old man who suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease and a 24-year-old man.

Meanwhile, police detained 311 people for defying movement control order rules on Monday.

Five of them were remanded while 306 were issued compound fines.

A total of 40 Covid-19 sanitation operations were conducted in 10 states and two federal territories on Monday.

– ASYRAF RASID /THESUN A man undergoing a nasal swab. All foreign workers nationwide are required to undergo mandatory screening, with their respective employers bearing the cost of the procedures from Dec 1.