Cases of unknown origin crop up ahead of Raya, including in green states

CORONAVIRUS | New infections have been detected in Kelantan and Kedah - two states that were previously declared green zones or Covid-19-free until today.

In his daily press briefing today, Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that the one new case in Kelantan had travelled interstate from Ampang, Selangor.

“This case had balik kampung (returned to her hometown) from Ampang, a red zone.

“When she got home, she came to the Klinik Kesihatan for a health screening. She is 35 weeks pregnant and wanted to give birth in her hometown.

“She was tested for Covid-19 and was found to be positive. She has been isolated and been given treatment,” he said when asked about the case.

Acute case detection and contact tracing are ongoing, he added.

Malaysiakini previously reported that the woman in question had been asymptomatic when she travelled to Kuala Krai on May 15. Some 20 people have been quarantined in connection with this case.

As for the one new case in Kedah, Noor Hisham said it involved a student who had been recently screened following the student’s request to travel to East Malaysia.

Contact tracing is also underway.

“How did the student get the infection? We are still investigating.

“Because Kedah is a green zone [...] so now I think whether (it is) because of close proximity with friends. We are not sure, but let us investigate before we come out with any announcements,” he said. 

Harian Metro reported that the student is from Universiti Utara Malaysia and had wanted to return home to Sabah. 

Aside from these two states, the ministry is investigating one new case detected in Terengganu.

Selangor, KL cases

Also under investigation are the eight new cases (as of noon yesterday) detected in Kuala Selangor as well as how 11 Myanmar nationals contracted Covid-19 after they were deported from Malaysia.

Early data suggests that some of the Kuala Selangor cases originated from the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market cluster, said Noor Hisham today.

Following screenings for migrants detained before the movement control order (MCO) and interned at the Kuala Lumpur Immigration Depot, he said one new Covid-19 case had been detected as of today.

“Our district health office is actively doing the investigations and perhaps we will need a few days for us to identify the source of infection,” he added.

According to a The Myanmar Times report yesterday, the country recorded 11 imported cases from Malaysia - all migrant workers who were recently deported.

Noor Hisham previously explained that one of them had been arrested prior to March 18 and detained at the depot before deportation.

The migrant in question had been detained separately from those arrested during the MCO.  - Mkini