TELUK Intan Hospital’s Emergency Department and observation ward have been closed after 37 staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the wards will be reopened soon after cleaning and disinfection and that rest of the hopital was functioning as normal.

For the moment, emergency cases are being handled at the outpatient unit of the hospital.

“Teluk Intan Hospital has been closed for cleaning, disinfection and others, but it will reopen after that. We will call doctors and other health workers from the surrounding area to serve at Teluk Intan once it is reopened,” he said at his daily press conference today.

He said they were among 73 healthcare workers who had tested positive for Covid-19, although none of them were infected in wards used to treat patients with the coronavirus.

Dr Noor Hisham said of the 73, 47, or 65%, of the cases, were linked to weddings attended by patients from the tabligh cluster.

The weddings were held in Bangi on March 6 and in Putrajaya the following day.

The tabligh event was held at the Sri Petaling Mosque from February 27 to March 3, which saw more than 14,000 participants.

Dr Noor Hisham called on any untested healthcare workers who attended the tabligh event or the wedding to come forward.

Other sources of infection were from overseas travel and contact with family members who tested positive for Covid-19.

A total of 1,895 ministry healthcare workers handling Covid-19 patients have undergone tests, with 1,187 workers testing negative, and a further 708 awaiting results. 

None have tested positive so far, said Dr Noor Hisham. – March 25, 2020.