Three new Covid-19 cases, all from existing clusters

CORONAVIRUS | Malaysia today recorded three new Covid-19 cases, all of which were from existing clusters.

Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, in a statement, said all three cases were locally transmitted and no new imported cases were found.

The first case involved a non-citizen from the Pedas cluster, linked to a chicken factory in Negeri Sembilan. It is the third-largest cluster after the Sri Petaling gathering and the Bukit Jalil immigration detention depot clusters.

The two other cases are linked to a 96-year-old woman who was found dead at her home in Sabah and was later tested positive for Covid-19. She was the 120th Covid-19 death.

The group of infections involving the woman was referred by the Health Ministry as the "Meninggal Di Rumah (MDR) cluster".

"The two from the MDR cluster involve a Malaysian and a non-citizen. They are family members of Patient 8,506," he said.

The data is for the last 24 hours up to noon today.

Noor Hisham said the new infections today brought the cumulative cases to 8,590.

He also reported that nine more Covid-19 patients have been discharged from hospital, bringing the total recoveries to 8,186 or 95.3 percent of total cases.

A total of 283 patients are still under treatment, of which three are in the intensive care unit.

No new death was reported, maintaining the toll at 121 people.

Noor Hisham (photo) also announced the end of the Sarawak Church cluster.

He said the cluster started on March 15 and officially ended today.

A total of 2,751 people were screened in the cluster and 191 were found positive with Covid-19. The cluster also saw three deaths, namely Patient 358 (2nd death), Patient 2,471 (37th death) and Patient 2,864 (67th death).

Noor Hisham also reminded students to comply with the guidelines as schools reopen tomorrow. 

For now, only students who will be taking the SPM, SVM, STPM and STAM examinations will be going back to school.

Noor Hisham reiterated for Malaysians to avoid crowded places, confined spaces and close conversations which he referred to as the120 "3Cs", as a precaution against Covid-19.

He also reminded Malaysians to wash their hands with soap, wear a face mask in public and heed warnings from the Health Ministry, referred to as the "3Ws".