COVID-19: 20 new cases, one recovery today - Health DG

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 -- The Health Ministry (MOH) today confirmed 20 new positive COVID-19 cases in the country today, bringing the total number of cases to 149. 

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said one case, Case 78, has recovered and was allowed to go home.

To date, 26 people have fully recovered and discharged, he added.

The ministry was conducting investigations and contact tracing activities for each new case to identify the source of infections, he said in a statement today. 

He said of the total number of positive cases, 22 were detected among Patients Under Investigation (PUI), 124 were close contacts, two were from a Humanitarian Aid Mission and one was a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patient identified during COVID-19 surveillance. 

“So far two cases were reported to be in the Intensive Care Unit and require breathing aid equipment but are in stable condition. Of these, one case is being treated at the Sungai Buloh Hospital while the other is at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru,” he added.

He also said all the 66 Malaysians and their family members who were evacuated from Wuhan in China in the Humanitarian Aid Mission on Feb 26 had returned home after completing their quarantine at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) in Negeri Sembilan.

“All of them did not show symptoms and all their repeat (test) samples were confirmed negative,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said the International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point (FP) Brunei had informed its Malaysian counterpart about the detection of a positive COVID-19 case in that country.

The patient was reported to have attended a tabligh assembly at Masjid Seri Petaling, Selangor from Feb 27 to March 1.

“Based on preliminary information, the assembly involved some 10,000 people from several countries including Malaysia.

“The number of Malaysian participants was estimated at more than 5,000. All State Health Departments are conducting further investigations on the matter in their respective states,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

He advised those who had attended the assembly to contact the nearest District Health Office or Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre in their state if they showed any symptoms.

“If they have no symptoms, they should practise social distancing of at least one metre from others for 14 days from the last day of their attendance at the assembly,” he added.

He said all planned mass gatherings should be postponed and the people are encouraged to avoid visiting COVID-19-affected countries.

-- BERNAMA