Some Selayang Covid-19 patients attended tabligh gathering, says health DG

The Selayang wholesale market area has been placed under an enhanced movement control order.

PUTRAJAYA: The health ministry said some of those residing around the Selayang wholesale market who tested positive for Covid-19 had attended the tabligh gathering at the Sri Petaling mosque, which has since emerged as the largest cluster.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah revealed this when asked why there were more cases linked to the gathering held two months ago, which has seen over 1,000 individuals testing positive for the virus.

Noor Hisham said the cases from the Selayang market area were an “extension” of the tabligh cluster.

He said the ministry was monitoring the situation through the enhanced movement control order (EMCO), which the Selayang wholesale market had been placed under.

The EMCO would allow the ministry to screen these targeted groups, he said.

“This is our focus now,” he said in his daily briefing here. “We will conduct health screening in the area in the next two weeks.”

Noor Hisham said Malaysia might be able to record single-digit infection in mid-May, after having recorded double-digit infections in the last two weeks.

“So, in the next two weeks, maybe in mid-May, we will record single-digit (infection).”

Last week, he had said the ministry was looking to record fewer than 10 infections after recording 36 new cases on April 20, the lowest since the movement control order was implemented.

Noor Hisham also said the rapid test kits, which should arrive next week, would be used to screen health workers based at Covid hospitals.

“Frontliners will be screened every two weeks. The test kits will also be used in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said. - FMT