No virus infection among 30,000 Hindu festival visitors, says Penang

Zaim Ibrahim Zaim Ibrahim Updated 4 years ago · Published on 24 Mar 2020 1:39PM · 8 Comments

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow says the state Health Department has not reported any cases of infection among the 30,000 Hindu devotees who gathered at the Sri Singamuga Kaliamman Temple on March 8. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 24, 2020.

THERE has been no cases of Covid-19 infection detected among the people who attended a large-scale Hindu festival in Teluk Bahang on March 8, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

He said the state Health Deparment had been monitoring the devotees who were at the Masi Magam Theppa Thirunal (Floating Chariot Festival) at the Sri Singamuga Kaliamman Temple.

“According to feedback from the state Health Department no cases have been reported to date,” he said during a media conference on that was livestreamed on Facebook today.

The March 8 celebration saw more than 30,000 people thronging the temple to take part in prayer sessions and and other religious rituals.

The highlight of the festival was a floating chariot bearing the deity of Sri Singamuga Kaliamman to the sea at night.

Devotees later lined the beach to welcome the return of the chariot about 10pm.

The packed event drew controversy as news emerged that an participant in a February 27 tabligh gathering in Kuala Lumpur had tested positive for Covid 19.

As reports of more infection among the Muslim congregation surfaced,  the Malaysian Hindu Sangam had advised those who had attended the Hindu event to get themselves screened for the coronavirus. 
 
Penang has reported 66 cases of infection and one death. The dead man had attended the tabligh assembly.

Yesterday Malaysia reported 212 new infections, bringing the total to 1,518. Of the new cases, 123 were from the tabligh cluster.

The death toll for Covid-19 in Malaysia also climbed to 14 yesterday, with three more fatalities. – March 24, 2020.

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Comments

  • No infection and none reported are not the same.

    Posted 4 years ago by H. Mokhtar · Reply

  • At time the nation focuses on to curb the spread, this guy spread his own ego. A desease to the nation indeed

    Posted 4 years ago by Ari Kar · Reply

  • Is the 30k do the test? If not, how sure are there is no one infected?

    Posted 4 years ago by Darren Law · Reply

  • All 30k got tested kah?

    Posted 4 years ago by N A · Reply

  • test all first than talk if not its all bullshit

    Posted 4 years ago by Shahrizal Hisham Abdul Halim · Reply

  • Of course its easy to tell. 14 days gone by and absolutely not a single case reported. Thaipusam also gone by with zero case. Quite unlike one gathering which triggered people to suffer and the country to do a partial lockdown. And some people already knew the tabligh had cases showing up but yet still allowed the last Friday prayers to go on was absolutely irresponsible. Those clusters from that Friday prayers are going to show up or have they already started showing up already ?

    Posted 4 years ago by Free Mind · Reply

  • Do you believe it? I don't!

    Posted 4 years ago by Alex Liew · Reply

  • We Malaysians, sincerely should hope and pray no one irrespective of race or religion should be infected by corona virus. We shouldnt doubt information given out by the CM of a state purely because we have doubts but do not or have not gathered the facts to claim otherwise! Its almost 18 days since the event and there had been no cases linked to the event. In fact its wrong to have all such events when its well known about the potential dangers but typical of the Malaysian society, some still chose to hold such events. Here one can only blame the authorities for being complacent and lax on both events and then whilst about to declare MCO, still without the guts to cancel the Friday prayers, a decision many of the folks privately did not agree with. Lets hope we all make more rational decisions to avoid an Italian or Spanish situation.

    Posted 4 years ago by Mohan Balan · Reply