Covid-19: 10 new cases, new 'home death' cluster identified in Sabah

CORONAVIRUS | The country has recorded 10 new Covid-19 cases, with no new deaths as of noon today, the Health Ministry said today.

Meanwhile, according to Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (above), a new cluster has been identified in Sabah, linked to the death of a senior citizen who died at home last week.

Noor Hisham said there were no imported cases recorded as of noon today, while of the newly recorded cases three involved foreigners, including a toddler transferred to the Immigration Academy in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan from the Bukit Jalil immigration depot.

The other two cases involved a  Bangladeshi male from a cleaning company in Kuala Lumpur who is a close contact of "Patient 8455" as well as an Indonesian national in Papar, Sarawak who was found to be positive upon a pre-operating screening at the Sabah Women and Children Hospital.

Of the seven Malaysian cases, four are close contacts of "Patient 8490" and are linked to the old folks home in Kuala Selangor.

One is from the tahfiz cluster, also in Selangor; one is a 20-year-old student from Bintulu, Sarawak who is a family member of "Patient 8453" and one is from the emerging cluster identified in Sabah.

This brings the total number of cases in the country to 8,515, with 521 active cases.

Meanwhile, 140 full recoveries were recorded today, bringing the total number of recoveries thus far to 7,873 or 92.5 percent of overall cases. The death toll remains at 121.

Noor Hisham explained that the new “meninggal di rumah” (home death) cluster emerged from the country’s 120th death. 

“The first case in the cluster ("Patient 8403") is a senior citizen who died at home on June 12 following complications from a heart attack and was taken to the Forensics Department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The Covid-19 test was found to be positive.

“Prior to that, the person had sought treatment for heart ailment at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital.

“Contract tracing was carried out and two ward staff were found to be positive,” he said, adding that the source of the infection is still being investigated.

As of noon today, 63 individuals have been identified and tested, including 21 health staff and two patients as well as 40 family members.

Noor Hisham added that sanitation has been carried out at all exposed places including the morgue and wards and stressed that Queen Elizabeth II Hospital operations were not affected.

Meanwhile, on the old folks home cluster in Kuala Selangor, he revealed that 64 people were tested since the emergence of a new case on Saturday.

Those tested comprised 12 staff members, 24 inhabitants, 10 family members, 13 health workers and five civilians.

Of these, seven have since been found to be positive, 43 negative with the results of 14 still pending.

Sanitation work has been carried out and the home is operating as normal with its inhabitants quarantined on site.

- Mkini