The Health Ministry today said 373 people from madrasah and tahfiz schools have been infected with Covid-19, out of 7,611 tested for the virus.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said tests were carried out on teachers, pupils and staff at madrasah and tahfiz schools.

“The Health Ministry has identified 322 madrasah and tahfiz schools with 15,423 pupils, teachers and staff.

“And, tests are being carried out,” he said at the ministry’s daily press conference in Putrajaya today.

Previously, Noor Hisham had said the ministry was ramping up its screening of tahfiz schools to curb the spread of Covid-19.

He said authorities had received information that more than 8,600 tahfiz students may have come into contact with Covid-19 carriers.

Sixty-nine new Covid-19 cases were reported today, with 57 being local, bringing the overall number of cases to 6,071. 

Noor Hisham said 39 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours.

A Malaysian cancer patient, 66, succumbed to the virus yesterday, he added, raising the total number of Malaysian fatalities to 103. – May 1, 2020.