THE Health Ministry is tracking down the “close contacts” of a Malaysian who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (nCoV19), said Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

“We are checking the maximum number of people he has encountered through contact tracing.

“That’s the challenge, to track and trace where he has been during the time,” the health minister said today.

A 41-year-old Malaysia from Selangor tested positive for nCoV19 yesterday. The ministry said the man developed a cough and fever a week after returning from a six-day trip to Singapore from January 16 to January 22.

He was referred to Sungai Buloh Hospital’s isolation ward. He was tested positive yesterday.

The Malaysian was among two new positive cases in Malaysia.

The other case involved Chinese citizen from Wuhan, who arrived in Malaysia on January 13.

The person had a mild fever on January 23 and was treated at a private hospital, which then informed the Health Mininstry.

The man was moved to Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s isolation ward, and was tested positive yesterday.

There are now 10 positive cases in Malaysia. Nine of the cases are from China nationals with one Malaysian. The number of patients-under-investigation is 213.

Asked how many “close contacts” would be investigated, Deputy Director-General of Health (Public Health) Dr Chong Chee Keong said: “We use the World Health Organisation (WHO) definitions. Close contacts would be family members and those you regularly contact with. The second group will be contacts in meetings or discussions. 

“For casual contacts, like you go to a shop to have a cup of tea, we won’t be following up on them for the time being.”

Dr Chong did not say how many people would be investigated.

“It is still under investigation as we just received the information last night. We are now investigating the list of people he could have come into contact with.”

When asked if there was a cause for concern given that the Malaysian patient was moving freely for six days before he was isolated, Dr Chong said: “So far, we are investigating with the neighbouring state to find out where the infection took place.”

The number infections of the new coronavirus has exceeded 20,400 in China with 3,235 new cases confirmed today.

China’s National Health Commission said there are 64 new deaths from the virus – all in the hardest-hit Hubei province, bringing the national toll to 425.

The epidemic, which has spiralled into a global health emergency, is believed to have emerged in December from a market selling wild game in the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan.

A global health emergency has been declared by the World Health Organisation, and the first death outside China was confirmed in the Philippines on Sunday. – February 4, 2020.