NINE of the 15 new Covid-19 infections reported as of noon today were detected in a new cluster in Kedah, said Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The nine cases are linked to the Tawar cluster, he said, adding that the first case is a businessman who attended a two-day memorial service in Tawar, Kedah, on July 31.

Noor Hisham said the event was attended by 30 others, who are now being tracked and tested.

The 10th locally transmitted case involving a Malaysian was detected during a pre-surgery screening in Kuala Lumpur.

A sole locally transmitted case involving a foreigner was discovered during a screening before departing the country.

Noor Hisham said the remaining four of the total of infections reported today are imported and involve Malaysian students returning from Indonesia (three) and Yemen.

The 15 fresh cases bring the national tally of infections to 9,129.

Four patients were discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours after recovering from the coronavirus.

This brings the total number of recoveries to 8,821.

No fatalities were reported, keeping the death toll at 125. 

Active cases stand at 183, with two patients currently warded in intensive care.

On the Tawar cluster, Noor Hisham said all nine cases involved family members of the index case.

To date, the ministry has screened 86 close contacts, including family members, close contacts in hospital and others.

A total of 21 individuals tested negative while 56 are awaiting test results.

The source of infection is being investigated, while the ministry is also determining if there is a link to the Sivagangga cluster in Napoh, Kubang Pasu.

The Sivagangga cluster was first reported on July 28 after an Indian national with permanent resident status in Malaysia disobeyed his home quarantine order after returning from India. He was jailed five months and fined earlier today.

Up to yesterday, 45 people were confirmed to have been infected after coming into contact with the index patient.

Up to August 11, 5,645 have been screened by the Health Ministry after coming into contact with the index patient or those who had frequented his restaurant.

Authorities’ efforts to trace those who had visited the outlet is also being hampered as it did not keep proper records of those who had visited the eatery.

Noor Hisham had said that the virus from the Sivagangga cluster might be a super-spreader strain as its transmission rate is faster compared with nine other clusters in other states. – August 13, 2020.