COVID-19: Nine new clusters detected, five involving work place

KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Health (MOH) detected nine more new clusters today with five being workplace clusters, bringing the total number of clusters nationwide to 532 with active clusters monitored at 232.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the workplace clusters were detected via targeted screenings at workplaces while other clusters were detected by screening symptomatic individuals.

The workplace clusters were the Perdana Avenue Construction Site Cluster in Petaling, Selangor; Osmo Jaya Cluster in Hulu Langat, Selangor; Belati cluster in Johor Bahru, Kota Tinggi, Kulai and Pontian; Wawasan Gading Cluster in Batu Pahat, Johor; and Rengit Central Cluster in Kota Tinggi, Kluang and Johor Bahru.

"Cases in the Perdana Avenue Construction Site Cluster were reported positive COVID-19 starting Dec 30, 2020 as a result of targeted screenings on workers at a construction site and as of Jan 3, 2021, 783 individuals were screened, with 202 cases detected positive," he said.

He said this in a statement on the development of COVID-19.

He said the Osmo Jaya Cluster recorded 46 positively detected cases of COVID-19, the Belati Cluster (44 cases); Wawasan Gading Cluster (13 cases) and Rengit Central Cluster (10 cases).

The other four new clusters were the Lintas Seraya Cluster in Kota Kinabalu and Penampang, Sabah which recorded 16 positive COVID-19 cases; Manik Cluster in Kuala Krai, Kelantan and Dungun, Terengganu (22 cases); Paloh Tumpat Cluster in Kelantan (15 cases); and Stutong Cluster in Kuching, Sarawak (5 cases).

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said 59 clusters reported an increase in cases today with the clusters with the highest number of new cases clusters being the Kebun Baru Cluster (89 cases), Beringin Cluster (82 cases), Jalan Harapan Prison Cluster (56 cases) and Sungai Putus Cluster (56 cases).

The number of clusters that had ended was 300 clusters including six clusters that ended today, namely, the Sungai Cincin Cluster, Tempasuk Cluster, Jalan Tuaran Cluster, Gangsa Cluster, Plaza Cluster, and Teluk Cluster.

-- BERNAMA