KUALA LUMPUR – After a stretch of daily cases below the 3,000 mark, Malaysia today sees a sharp rise with 3,545 Covid-19 infections.
The Health Ministry said the country also logged 12 more deaths, bringing the toll to 1,088.
Today, recoveries are at 3,331, while 189 are in intensive care and 88 require breathing aid.
Negri Sembilan saw a sharp rise in daily cases at 1,329, while Selangor drops to second place with 581 infections.
Health-Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Negri Sembilan’s surge comes from the Sg Gadut Industry cluster in Seremban.
The cluster, which logged 1,338 fresh infections, involves a wood-based products manufacturer in the Sg Gadut industrial area. It has a total of 1,432 cases, with only 318 of them being Malaysians.
The factory has been closed since Sunday. It has 1,500 migrant workers in its hostels, located within the factory compound.
Dr Noor Hisham said most of the patients have been taken to the Covid-19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centre at Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).
He said the infected Malaysians were taken to either a hospital or MAEPS, while some are allowed to undergo home quarantine.
“The conditions at the hostel are highly unsatisfactory, and the Manpower Department has taken action. Foreign worker accommodation is still a source of infection.”
Kuala Lumpur registered 381 cases, Sarawak (353), Johor (318), Perak (188) and Sabah (105).
States recording fewer than 100 cases are Penang (95), Kelantan (53), Melaka (26), Terengganu (22), Kedah (17), Pahang (8), Labuan (5) and Putrajaya (1).
Perlis has no new cases today.
Dr Noor Hisham said 29 new cases were detected at detention centres – the Tembok Sg Udang cluster (14 cases), Tembok Pengkalan Chepa cluster (12), Telok Mas cluster (2) and Tembok Taiping cluster (1).
He said seven of the deaths recorded today were in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor (2), and Sabah, Terengganu and Penang (1 each). Eleven were locals.
Malaysia registered eight new clusters, while another eight were contained, namely Jalan Rasah, Kg Bombalai, Kg Paya Siput, Guntong Luar, Kota Muhibbah, Cyber construction site, Pelangi construction site and Jalan Mutiara.
Dr Noor Hisham said 78 clusters logged fresh cases, including the Sg Gadut industry cluster (1,338 cases), Jalan Segambut construction site (174) and Jalan Pelabuhan (164).
Seven of the new clusters are workplace-related, with the other being a community cluster.
Selangor recorded the Jalan Enam cluster in Petaling district with 15 cases, while Johor saw the Jalan Ulu Choh cluster in Pontian with 34 cases, Perindustrian Likut cluster in Kota Tinggi with 28 cases, and Jalan Dato Yunus cluster with eight cases.
Sabah logged the Sinsingon cluster in Nabawan with 18 cases, while Perak has the Pasar Bidor cluster in Batang Padang with 25 cases.
In Penang are the Lorong Bakau cluster in Seberang Prai with 50 cases, and Vista Hilir cluster with 35 cases. – The Vibes, February 24, 2021