Covid-19: 54 new cases, one new death

CORONAVIRUS | There are 54 new cases of Covid-19 as of noon today, with 53 of them being local infections.

Total cases are now at 6,589, with active cases at 1,552.

One new death was reported, the first in three days, bringing the death toll to 108.

The deceased, patient 2,499, was a 74-year-old Malaysian woman with a history of autoimmune disease, hypertension, and thyroid disease.

She was a close contact with patient 1,276 who is linked to the Seri Petaling tabligh gathering cluster.

She was hospitalised on March 29 and died at 11.23pm last night.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said 45 of the new infections were migrants.

This includes 28 new cases from the Pedas, Negeri Sembilan cluster, which now has 88 cases in total.

Only three of the new cases were reported from areas under enhanced movement control order, that is from the area near the Kuala Lumpur wholesale market.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has also reported a new cluster centred on construction workers in Setia Alam.

The cluster was first identified on May 6, after being notified by a private hospital that three workers who were screened had tested positive.

There are 12 cases from this cluster as of noon today, all of whom are migrants.

This is the third blue-collar migrant worker cluster to have been reported this week, besides the Pedas and the Cheras security guards clusters. Previously, a cluster of construction workers in Jalan Ampang had also been reported.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had said previously that infections spread faster among migrants due to cramped living conditions.  

Of the currently active cases, 18 are now in ICU with six requiring ventilators.

On the bright side, there were 65 recoveries today, bringing total recoveries to 4,929 or 74.8 percent of total cases.

 - Mkini