Covid-19 surge in Malacca, Kelantan due to Raya visits

 

The Covid-19 spike and emergence of new clusters in Malacca over the past few days is believed to be due to Hari Raya Aidilfitri visits, said state executive councillor Rahmad Mariman.

Rahmad (above), who chairs the health and anti-drugs committee, said those who tested positive for Covid-19 admitted they visited their relatives even though they were prohibited from doing so.

“It is true some of the new clusters were due to non-compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOPs). Secretly these people have been out visiting their family members and some have travelled inter-district and interstate and this contributed to the surge in cases,” he told Bernama in Malacca today.

Yesterday, Malacca recorded 212 cases, its highest daily Covid-19 infection, with four fatalities.

Rahmad, who is Umno's state assemblyperson for Ayer Molek, said one of the new clusters believed to be due to Raya visits was the Batu Lapan Bukit Rambai cluster, in which the index case was an elderly man aged 70.

As of yesterday, 28 of the man's close contacts were screened and 12 tested positive, he added.

Meanwhile, Kelantan State Health Department (JKNK) director Dr Zaini Hussin said the spread of Covid-19 in the Tumpat and Sungai Pinang sub-districts was believed to be due to Raya activities.

Elaborating, he said a woman in her 30s who lived in the Bunut Susu sub-district, Pasir Mas and happened to be a close contact of a confirmed case, had gone to Kampung Teluk Renjuna to celebrate Aidilfitri.

Kelantan State Health Department director Dr Zaini Hussin

Zaini said JKNK received information on her whereabouts from the Pasir Mas District Health Office on May 11 and the woman was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on May 13.

"We cannot determine if the woman had visited other places or who had visited her at her house and now so many people are involved," he told Bernama when contacted today.

- Bernama