A NEW Covid-19 cluster has been identified in Kedah, with two positive cases and another 117 awaiting results, said director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Dubbed the Muda cluster, this new area of concern is in the Kuala Muda district.

Noor Hisham said there was one case reported today from the cluster on top of an earlier one detected earlier in the week.

He said the first index case in this cluster was patient 9,114, who is a local policeman, and the new case detected is a co-worker (case 9,147).

“Active case detection activities and close contact screenings were conducted on August 13 and the new case was detected positive on August 14,” he said in his statement today.

Noor Hisham also said that as of August 14, 124 close contacts have been screened.

Of these, two cases were positive, five negative and 117 are still waiting for results.

He said the cause of infection was still under investigation and all involved were Malaysians.

Meanwhile, on the Tawar cluster, Noor Hisham said 11 new cases were reported today – 10 in Kedah and one in Penang.

He said as of noon today, a total of 261 people have been screened under this cluster in the two states.

In Kedah, of the 156 screened, 20 were found to be infected with Covid-19, 77 negative while 59 were still awaiting their results.

In Penang, 105 people have been screened, resulting in one positive case, 75 negative and 29 pending results.

Yesterday, nine cases were reported in this cluster. 

The first case in this cluster was a businessman who attended a two-day memorial service in Tawar on July 31.

The event was attended by some 30 others, who are currently being tracked and tested.

Malaysia today reported 20 new cases, bringing the total to 9,149. There were seven recoveries, making the overall figure to 8,828.

No deaths were reported today, keeping the national death toll at 125. – August 14, 2020.