EIGHTEEN new Covid-19 cases were recorded today, which also saw the emergence of four new clusters, said director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The new infections raise the country’s total number of cases to 8,755. 

Of the new cases, 10 were imported infections and the rest local transmissions.

Foreigners make up three of the 10 imported cases and two of the eight cases of local transmission.

“In the local transmissions involving Malaysians, four cases were reported in Sarawak while two were reported inTerengganu. 

“As for the two foreigners, one case was detected in Kuala Lumpur and the other in Selangor,” he said in a statement today.

Of the four local transmissions in Sarawak, one has developed into severe acute respiratory infection. Two others were detected during workplace screenings, and one was a healthcare worker from the new Kuching Medical Centre cluster.

In Terengganu, the two Malaysian cases were from the new Pitakwa cluster that stemmed from a Malaysian returning from abroad who tested negative for Covid-19 at the entry screening test at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), but who fell sick a few days llater.

Of the two cases of local transmissions that were foreigners, one was from the new Shirala cluster in Kuala Lumpur, which has been traced to a professional worker arriving from abroad who tested negative for Covid-19 at KLIA.

The fourth new cluster was a crew member of a ship who was now in Bintulu and an isolated case, Noor Hisham said.

As for the day’s recoveries, three patients were discharged, bringing the total number of recoveries to 8,541, or 97.6% of the total cases. 

Active cases stand at 92, of which three are in intensive care. None needs a respirator.

The death toll remains at 122. – July 17, 2020.