MALAYSIA’S daily Covid-19 cases spiked to triple digits with 182 infections reported in the past 24 hours, due to a surge in the Benteng cluster in Sabah (167), and the Sungai and Telaga clusters in Kedah (14).

Director-general of health Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah reported the figures in a press statement today, adding that the national toll of infections is now 9,810, with 501 active cases.

All but one of the reported infections were locally transmitted – 90 involved citizens and 91 cases were foreign nationals – with only one of the 182 cases imported.

Of the 167 new cases in the Benteng cluster, Lahad Datu, Sabah, 70 were prisoners and six civilians, all of which are Malaysians.

The 91 foreigners testing positive for the virus included 61 Filipinos and 30 Indonesians.

So far, 2,837 people in the Benteng cluster, which involves a police lock-up, have been screened. There are now 337 positive cases in this cluster.

In Kedah, the Sungai cluster was responsible for 11 new infections, while three more cases were added to the Telaga cluster.

Both clusters involve healthcare facilities and frontline workers, although Noor Hisham has said no infections were transmitted from Covid-19 wards or patients.

Meanwhile, 14 patients have been discharged from hospital over the past 24 hours after making a full recovery.

As such, the total number of recoveries from the coronavirus now stands at 9,181.

The death toll remained at 128 with no new fatalities reported.

Nine people are currently in intensive care, with five of those requiring respiratory support. – September 11, 2020.