TWO Covid-19 clusters involving 6 cases were announced today, both involving people who had been in foreign countries, said Director-General of Health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah. 

The first, called the PUI Melbourne cluster, involves two traveller, with another 21 people who had boarded the same plane or public transport awaiting test results.

This cluster’s index case was a Malaysian student who returned from Melbourne on July 15. The student transited in Kuala Lumpur to fly to Kuching.

The student was brought to the quarantine centre upon arrival in Kuching and tested positive on July 17.

“The person is asymptomatic and has been admitted to Sarawak General Hospital,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

The other case involved a passenger on the same flight as the student from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching.

As of noon today, 21 close contacts comprising passengers of the flights involved and public transport taken by the two cases have been screened and are awaiting results.

The second cluster, called Hyde Park, involves a ship docked in Port Klang, where four positive cases have been detected.

“This cluster was detected following Covid-19 screening for crew members before they departed to their country of origin,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

As of 12pm today, 24 people linked to the ship cluster were screened for the coronavirus, and four have tested positive while the remainder are negative.

The index case was a Russian crew member with a travel history to Egypt and India.

The four who tested positive are foreigners and are currently being treated at Sungai Buloh Hospital.

Close contacts on the ship have tested negative, but remained quarantined on the vessel, making this cluster a low-risk one, Dr Noor Hisham said.

“Hence, this cluster does not have the risk of spreading to the community as it is isolated within the ship.”

The vessel has also been disinfected and sanitised according to procedures, he added. – July 22, 2020.