Perlis also affected by interstate travel, after traveller to Penang tests positive

 

Perlis, the only green state in Malaysia, yesterday reported a Covid-19 case involving a person who had travelled to Penang.

The case was recorded in the Utan Aji subdistrict (mukim), which before that only had four cases, the last of which was recorded in April, the Perlis Health Department said.

This came after all districts in Penang became red zones on Sunday, recording more than 40 cases in the past fortnight.

The Perlis case emerged amid a rise in domestic tourism after interstate travel was allowed starting Dec 7.

Perlis had on Dec 26 reported another case involving an interstate traveller.

Some 14 clusters have been detected since Dec 7, involving interstate travellers and social gatherings, the Health Ministry said, but state health departments have consistently reported cases involving such travellers almost on a daily basis in the past week. 

Perlis was previously praised by Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah for keeping Covid-19 at bay.

The state recorded 47 cases and two deaths since the start of the pandemic.

“Credit to the largest state, Sarawak, and the smallest state, Perlis, with no recorded Covid-19 cases today.

“The challenge is to maintain and protect the green state status,” he said on Dec 17.

Perlis still a green state

Although Perlis recorded a case yesterday, it still remains a green state according to the Health Ministry’s classifications.

This is because the ministry only considers locally-transmitted cases in the past fortnight, in determining if the state is green, yellow, orange or red in status.

States with no locally-transmitted cases in a fortnight are green, those with one to 19 locally-transmitted cases are yellow, 21 to 39 locally transmitted cases orange while those with 40 or more locally-transmitted cases within two weeks are red zones.

Insert embed code:

Pergerakan 14 hari taburan kes #COVID19 mengikut daerah di Malaysia (21 Dis 2020 hingga 3 Jan 2021).

Seluruh Selangor dan KL adalah zon merah.

Selangor kes aktif paling tinggi dengan 9,993 kes, KL 3,978, Sabah 3,388 dan Johor 3,294.

Perlis kekal negeri zon hijau. pic.twitter.com/G0hZZiyRHk

— KKMalaysia🇲🇾 (@KKMPutrajaya) January 4, 2021

Previously, movement control orders and other standard operating procedures have followed these classifications.

For example, schools in red zones were previously closed.

However, the government recently said all schools will reopen on Jan 20, including those in red zones under a conditional movement control order.

Interstate travellers test positive in Sarawak while under quarantine

Meanwhile, the other state which won praise from Noor Hisham, Sarawak, has recorded its share of cases involving those who travelled out of states and red zone areas since then.

Yesterday, a Kuching woman who travelled to Kuala Lumpur with her family on Dec 21 tested positive for Covid-19.

Similarly, a Sarawakian who returned from Selangor on Christmas day also tested positive.

Both cases were detected through testing while under mandatory quarantine.

Unlike in peninsula states, interstate travellers to Sarawak must undergo mandatory quarantine of 10 days in a quarantine centre and four days at home.

To date, Sarawak reported 23 cases in the past fortnight, but none of its districts is red zones.

Sarawak minister Dr Sim Kui Hian has urged Sarawakians to band together to help keep cases down in seven of its districts which are now yellow zones.

Kuching, which reported eight locally transmitted cases in 14 days, was declared a green zone on Dec 15.

“We need every one of you to help flatten the curve again in the next 14 days in Kuching, Meradong/Sibu and Miri.

“(The data) shows how fast seven out of 49 districts in Sarawak can become yellow and soon orange,” he said. - Mkini