835 new Covid-19 cases reported today

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia recorded 835 new Covid-19 cases as of noon today, bringing the total number of infections nationwide to 28,640.

About 830 infections were locally transmitted while five were imported, according to Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah at today's Health Ministry press conference.

Currently there are 9,903 active cases with 89 of them requiring intensive care, and 32 on ventilator support.

Two more fatalities were reported in Tawau today, raising the death toll to 238.

On a positive note, there were also 674 recovered cases, leading the total number of recoveries to rise to 18,499.

Sabah recorded a drop in the number of Covid 19 cases from 927 yesterday to 410 today.

Noor Hisham said the Health Minisitry will continue to do Covid screenings and active tracing for the whole of Sabah as there are still 44 active clusters in the state and an increase in the number of daily cases can occur. 

Noor Hisham also spoke about the cases of Covid patients who were left at home instead of being admitted to a quarantine center, which he said was due to the delay in the RT-PCR test result times. 

“So we have decided we use the RTK Antigen (RTK Ag) as the turnaround time is faster. So we have sent 100,000 (test kits) and in the last few days we will send another 100,000. So within the same day you can get the result.  

“Once we get the result then we can isolate them. That is why there is the issue of some of the cases have been left at home and not in quarantine centre because of the delay in the results."

Noor Hisham said the biggest challenge in Sabah is logistics.  

“Now I think also the Sabah Health Department is overwhelmed.  

“We are working as a team-an Inter ministry collaboration. So we need to use the whole holistic government approach as well as the society approach. 

“So the coordination is important between the NGOs and Health Ministry and working together as a team to look into the areas of concern, locality as well as how we do the tests and standardisation and so on. So all this has been done at the ground level. 

Noor Hisham said in Sabah they are looking into a CMCO because the government is trying to strike a balance between health and the economy.

He added that the ministry has recommended that no election be held for the time being.

However, if one must be conducted, as per the federal constitution, the ministry will hold talks with the Election Commission on the rules to be implemented to curb Covid-19 transmission.

“As far as the ministry is concerned, we only give recommendations. If (an election) cannot be avoided... we will have to look at the SOPs to minimise infection.

“I think we have seen and learnt this from the Sabah election.”  – The Vibes, October 27, 2020