KELANTAN RECORDS FIRST CASE
44 who attended Masjid Seri Petaling event in KL placed under quarantine
KELANTAN has recorded one positive case of Covid-19 and placed 44 others who attended a religious gathering at Masjid Seri Petaling under quarantine after the screening process.
Three of them had been warded at Kuala Krai Hospital as they showed symptoms, including the one who tested positive.
State Health Department director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said their samples had been sent to the laboratory for further tests.
“Only cases that meet the criteria will be warded. Those who are asymptomatic or show light symptoms are allowed to undergo self-quarantine.”
Dr Zaini urged those in Kelantan who had attended the religious programme to get tested.
“We do not know the exact number of those from Kelantan who attended the programme in Kuala Lumpur. So far, 132 have turned up for health checks,” he said.
He urged those who had the flu, cough, fever and breathing difficulties to stay home and avoid public areas, including shopping malls or gatherings, adding that they should practise social distancing of at least 1m, as well as good personal hygiene.
“Organisers of events should provide enough facilities for guests to wash their hands with soap and those who can afford hand sanitisers should do so.”
The state-level Crisis Preparedness And Response Centre had been activated since Thursday, he said.
The gathering at Masjid Seri Petaling, held between Feb 27 and March 1, had sparked a new cluster transmission of Covid-19.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba reportedly said three people — one from Kuantan, another from Tawau and a Brunei citizen — who participated in the gathering had tested positive for Covid-19.
Some 10,000 people, including more than 5,000 Malaysians, had attended the four-day gathering.
In Kota Kinabalu, six Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) staff members who had taken part in the religious programme tested negative for Covid-19.
The university said they had been screened either at the UMS hospital or government health facilities and they did not show any symptoms.
“All of them are now placed under 14-day home isolation and can only report for work once their health is at the optimum level,” said UMS in a statement.
Any staff or students who exhibited symptoms associated with Covid-19 or had just returned from a trip outside Sabah or affected areas should report to the university hospital immediately, it said.