Advertisement

Dr Noor Hisham: One more new Covid-19 case from Sivagangga cluster in Malaysia

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah speaks at a press conference on Covid-19 in Putrajaya August 3, 2020. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah speaks at a press conference on Covid-19 in Putrajaya August 3, 2020. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, August 3 — The government has detected two new cases of Covid-19 in the country, leading to a cumulative total of 9,001 cases in Malaysia with 208 active case.

Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in his Covid-19 press conference that one case is from the Sivagangga cluster in Kedah, and the other is from an asymptomatic college student who was screened in Labuan.

“They have been isolated and are given treatment. The two new cases reported are locally transmitted involving Malaysians. There are no new import cases from outside of the country,” he said.

“The student is being treated at the Labuan Hospital. While the new case from the Sivagangga cluster is being treated at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for treatment.”

In total, there are 21 active cases in the Sivagangga cluster. The Health Ministry has screened 425 individuals and found 362 negative cases while another 42 individuals’ Covid-19 screening results are still pending.

The Sivagangga cluster stemmed from a restaurant owner in Kubang Pasu, Kedah, who broke his 14-day home quarantine after returning from India.

To make matters more difficult for the authorities is that the restaurant did not follow any of the Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures for commercial premises and restaurants.

Dr Noor Hisham said that the restaurant did not use the MySejahtera application or any of its equivalents. It also failed to take the temperatures of its patrons and did not record any of their personal details.

The latest victim from this cluster is a regular at the restaurant.

He had conducted a screening on July 27, but the rapid test kit antibody came out negative at that time. However, on July 31, he started showing symptoms of fever and coughing but he did not obtain any treatment.

“A day later, after he had involved himself in Aidiladha activities, he found out that he was a close contact to the index case. After a screening using the RT-PCR, he was found to be Covid-19 positive and was sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital for treatment,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

The director-general also reminded the public not to take the law into their own hands after hearing that there were threats of physical violence against the Sivagangga cluster’s patient zero.

Dr Noor Hisham said the irresponsible individual is being treated at the moment and that the government will take action against him.

Related Articles Higher Education minister: PTPTN loan repayment deferred until December Health Ministry denies ordering those who vacationed in Kubang Pasu to be tested for Covid-19 Google Cloud prepares for Black Friday ‘peak on top of peak’