A NEW Covid-19 cluster with six infections was detected at the Sepang Immigration detention centre, director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.

The six infections are among 60 new cases reported today, 44 of which were foreigners and locally transmitted, he said in a statement.

Twenty-seven of the foreign patients were at the Semenyih immigration detention facility.

Sixty virus cases were previously reported at the Immigration Department’s Bukit Jalil detention centre.

Noor Hisham said yesterday that the Health Ministry was investigating the source of the outbreak at the Semenyih and Bukit Jalil centres.

He said it was not clear if the infection stemmed from the detainees or staff.

“We are investigating the source of the infection. We will look into whether the depot workers themselves are bringing in the infections because the detainees don’t go anywhere but the employees go in and out,” he said.

There will not be a daily press briefing on the Covid-19 response today because of the Raya holiday.

Noor Hisham had said that although virus tests were carried out on the detainees when they were rounded up in the areas in lockdown, “one or two may have been left out”.

He said the virus could also have surfaced after a 14-day incubation period.

Raids to round up undocumented migrants began on May 1, first at Menara City One and then at other buildings and areas under an enhanced MCO.

The government has been criticised for the raids after assuring immigrants that they need not fear arrests in an attempt to get them to come forward for tests.

Critics warned that holding the detainees in close quarters could cause new infections. – May 24, 2020.