PETALING JAYA: A Covid-19 cluster that originated from a patient who had returned from Italy recently resulted in 37 people being infected here.
Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said five of the patients infected by the cluster were among those dead, while another remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) on respiratory aid.
“From our investigations, we learnt that there is a cluster from a positive case (patient no.1,580) who had travel history to Italy. This cluster had infected 37 others and caused up to three generations of infection,“ he told a press conference at the Health Ministry today.
The first patient had returned from a holiday in Italy and it led to the infection of one after another, including a whole family.
Although the patient tested positive initially he was later discharged from hospital after testing negative in a serological test.
Noor Hisham said four more Covid-19 patients succumbed to the disease today bringing the total number of deaths to 61.
He said as of noon today, 179 new cases were reported - 46 of which are related to the Sri Petaling tabligh event.
He said the total number of positive Covid-19 cases stands at 3,662 cases.
Noor Hisham said 99 patients are being treated in the ICU, of which 48 are on ventilators.
He said the four new deaths, two in Sarawak, one in Sabah and another in Kuala Lumpur, involved four men, aged between 53 and 72.
He said all four had a history of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and renal disorders.
Noor Hisham emphasised that it was crucial for those who had come in contact with Covid-19 positive carriers, had travelled overseas or had attended gatherings identified as clusters to step forward and declare this with honesty.
He said 180 countries worldwide have been hit by the outbreak and to minimise the risk of further transmission from overseas, the authorities will place Malaysians returning from abroad at quarantine stations nationwide.
Noor Hisham said at entry points, those who arrive in the country will undergo health evaluation for the coronavirus.
He said tests for the virus will be carried out while they are monitored at the quarantine centres for 14 days.
“If they are found to show symptoms of Covid-19 on arrival or at the quarantine centres, they will be sent to the selected hospitals for isolation, monitoring and medical treatment,” he added.
