No Covid-19 fatalities have been reported in Malaysia for seven consecutive days, keeping the death toll at 115, or 1.49 percent of the total number of positive cases.
After two days of record lows, the number of new Covid-19 cases in Malaysia have spiked again.
“A total of 103 new cases were reported today, bringing the cumulative number in Malaysia to 7,732.
“This means the number of active Covid-19 cases with infectivity is 1,382,” said Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told a daily news conference on Covid-19 today.
Dr Noor Hisham said the latest surge in new cases happened mostly among foreigners.
He revealed that the new cases were mostly from the Pedas factory cluster in Negri Sembilan and a new cluster at a cleaning company involving foreigners.
“The spike today is mostly among foreigners. Of the 103, 84 were foreigners; 53 were from Pedas comprising non-citizens and one local, while 24 came from a private cleaning company. The Pudu cluster also saw an increase of three cases.
“Seven cases were imported cases: four from Egypt, two from Saudi Arabia and one from Australia. With this, among the locally transmitted cases, 12 are local,” Dr Noor Hisham said.
He also said 66 cases had recovered and were discharged today, bringing the cumulative figure for recoveries to 6,235, or 80.6 percent of the total cases.
He added that eight cases were still being treated in the intensive care unit, with two requiring ventilator support.
Dr Noor Hisham said that the new cluster was discovered by a private clinic engaged by the cleaning company to screen its workers.
He said it was commendable for the company to run its own screening despite its workers not showing any symptoms, and that it was likely spread by the close proximity living conditions of the workers in their hostels in Kuala Langat and Nilai.
“There is a need to look into their living conditions through laws under the Labour Act immediately to prevent any spread of diseases moving forward,” he said.
All the workers found to be positive were Bangladeshi nationals.
As for the Pedas cluster, he said that the new cases were discovered among the staff who were being quarantined following the discovery of the cluster earlier this month. Of the 53, the sole Malaysian among them is a canteen worker.