Record 317 new cases, 155 in Sabah – DG

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 317 new Covid-19 cases, including 155 in Sabah, were reported in the country yesterday, breaking the record high of 287 cases on Friday, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said all the 317 cases, reported over a 24-hour period as at noon yesterday, were local transmissions.

He said one Covid-19 death was also reported, in Tawau, Sabah, while three new clusters were detected -- Bah Lunas Cluster and Bah Rose Cluster in Kedah, and Jelok Cluster in Selangor.

The new cases, which involve 303 Malaysians and 14 foreigners, bring the cumulative total of positive cases to 12,088.

“Of the 317 infections, 37 cases were travellers who returned from Sabah. This brings the number of cases with a travel history to Sabah since Sept 20 to 176,” he said at a press conference on Covid-19 updates here. The Covid-19 death toll in Malaysia now stands at 137.

The 137th death (case no. 10,939) was a 57-year-old Malaysian man with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia, he added.

“He started having symptoms of cough, lack of appetite and fever on Sept 10. On Sept 24, he suffered breathing difficulty and was taken to the Emergency Department of Hospital Semporna before being referred to Hospital Tawau on the same day.

“The patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and put on ventilator support. Covid19 tests turned out positive on Sept 28. His condition deteriorated and he was confirmed to have died at 11.44 pm on Oct 2,” Dr Noor Hisham added.