New cluster in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan - 39 infected

CORONAVIRUS | The Health Ministry has detected a new cluster of Covid-19 infection in Sendayan, Negeri Sembilan that has seen 39 people infected so far. 

Director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told a press conference today that the number of positive patients detected at the area include 13 tahfiz students and a family of 11.

"We found that there is an outbreak in Sendayan. And a concerted effort has been taken, and is ongoing, at the scene.

"We hope that we will be able to contain the infection," he added.

He was answering a question on the sudden spike of new cases in Negeri Sembilan as per its statistics yesterday, recording a total of 42 cases from the state alone, and to confirm whether it is true that the majority of those who tested positive had come from a religious group based in Sendayan.

Apart from the tahfiz students and a family of 11, he said that 15 others who tested positive in Sendayan were board members of an organisation. Noor Hisham, however, did not name the entity.

Meanwhile, the top Health Ministry official said the Sendayan cluster is part of a total of 28 clusters and sub-clusters that they have traced.

This was an increase from 25 clusters and sub-clusters that he had announced a day ago.

"But this is still considered as a small cluster. The largest is still the Sri Petaling gathering cluster, which makes 39 percent from the total number of positive cases in the country," he said.

To a question on why the majority of fatalities due to Covid-19 in the country involved male patients, Noor Hisham said this was because most of the Sri Petaling tabligh gathering participants were men.

For the record, 75 percent of the 82 victims who died from the virus so far were men.

He said another factor could be that men were more involved in outdoor activities, which exposed them to a higher risk of contracting Covid-19.

"However, what we are sure of is that 50 percent of those who died were of age 60 and above. And 80 percent of the fatalities had comorbidity and such. So when they were infected by Covid-19, their symptoms were much worse than those who do not have comorbidity."

MCO Phase 1 and 2 has kept positive cases below 5,000

Meanwhile, in updating the number of cases according to clusters, Noor Hisham said as of noon today, a total of 24,605 samples have been taken from the Sri Petaling cluster, where 1,904 were positive.

Other major clusters, namely the Bangi wedding cluster; Italy returnee cluster in Kuching, Sarawak; church gathering cluster in Kuching; Rembau cluster in Negeri Sembilan; and Bali returnee cluster, did not record any increase in the number of cases.

Several areas that have been put under the enhanced movement control order (MCO) have recorded an increase of new cases.

According to him, Hulu Langat recorded 11 new cases which increased the total figure in the area to 431. Out of this, 126 positive cases were detected at a madrasah school and the area of Kampung Paya Lebar in Batu 23, both in Sungai Lui.

There was also an increase of three cases in Kampung Sungai Lui, raising the number of cases at the village to 120.

The Selangor Mansion building at Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur had an increase of one new case, taking the total number of cases there to 83.

Other areas under enhanced MCO - the Malayan Mansion building at Jalan Masjid India; Menara City One in Jalan Munshi Abdullah, Kuala Lumpur; and Simpang Renggam in Johor did not record any new cases. 

Noor Hisham said the first and second phase of the MCO enforced by the government has managed to help prevent a sudden spike in cases.

He said JP Morgan had predicted that Malaysia would record a peak in cases by today, estimating that there would be 6,300 in total.

"But now we have less than 5,000 cases. We managed to reduce the number. Today was supposed to be the peak.

"We have not seen the peak," he said in answering a question whether the ministry was expecting to see a peak of cases or another wave of outbreak.

However, he said there is much more to be done and hopes that the third phase of the MCO that starts tomorrow would help to lower the number of new cases further. - Mkini