With four active clusters in Sabah, there is fear that the state will turn into a COVID-19 hotbed in Malaysia where total cases have surpassed the 10,000 mark.
Three of its clusters contributed to the bulk of the 95 new cases reported today. The new cases comprised 91 local transmissions (90 in Sabah and one in Negeri Sembilan) and four imported cases.
With this, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia has increased to 10,147 while active cases swelled to 754 compared with only 151 on Sept 1.
Malaysia recorded one more death today, bringing the COVID-19 death toll to 129 (1.27 percent of total cases).
Following the detection of the Benteng LD cluster on Sept 1, three other clusters have emerged in Sabah – Laut (in Kunak) on Sept 12, Pulau (Kunak) on Sept 14 and Selamat (Semporna) on Sept 17.
The peninsula also has its share of active clusters, among them being the Sungai cluster (Kedah and Perlis) that emerged on Sept 7. As of yesterday, this cluster had recorded 65 cases (64 in Kedah and one in Perlis).
Another active cluster is the Tawar cluster (Kedah and Penang) which, as of Sept 13, has recorded 81 cases in Kedah and 11 in Penang.
After last week’s shocking 182 new cases on Sept 11 and 100 new cases on Sept 8, this week’s new infections returned to two figures. Most of the new cases comprised local transmissions while imported cases showed a substantial drop. This could be due to the ban on the entry of Long-Term Social Visit Pass holders from countries with more than 150,000 cases, beginning Sept 7.
Over the 24-hour period up to noon today, 14 patients were discharged, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 9,264 (91.3 percent of total cases).
Eleven patients are being treated in the intensive care unit, with two requiring respiratory aid.
LOCAL TRANSMISSIONS STILL HIGH
On Saturday (Sept 12), there were 58 new cases out of which 53 were local transmissions; Sunday 47 new cases (45 local); Monday 31 new cases (28 local); Tuesday 23 new cases (13 local); Wednesday 62 new cases (61 local) and yesterday 21 new cases (16 local).
The hike in the daily new cases also saw the Rt or R-naught (R0) value inching upwards.
(The R0 refers to the infectivity rate of a virus at the start of an outbreak within a community.)
Before the enforcement of the Movement Control Order on March 18, the R0 stood at 3.55.
In an update on his Facebook account on Sept 15, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah wrote: “Based on the daily cases, the infectivity rate within the community or Rt value in this nation exceeded 1.0, that is 1.58 on Sept 13.
“If we were to examine the Rt value for Sabah, it was at its highest on Sept 8 at 3.72. It was higher than the Rt value for Kedah on the same day which was 2.63. As a result of active public health action, the (Rt) value in both states came down.
“On Sept 13, the Rt value for Sabah was 1.70, almost close to the Rt value for Kedah on the same date, that is, 1.58.”
However, since the Rt value for both states exceeded 1.0, it would have an impact on the Rt value for the nation, said Dr Noor Hisham. Continuous public health action will help to lower the Rt to below 1.0 which will stem COVID-19 transmission and infectivity rates within the community.
SABAH CLUSTERS
So far four clusters have been detected in the Land Below the Wind, the latest one being the Selamat cluster.
According to Dr Noor Hisham, the index case for this cluster is Case No 9,969, who is a 32-year-old pregnant Malaysian woman who was tested positive for COVID-19 on Sept 14 after she was admitted into Hospital Tawau for premature labour.
Today, the Selamat cluster recorded three new cases, bringing the total number of positive cases to five. A total of 132 individuals linked to the index case are still awaiting test results.
The Pulau cluster was announced on Sept 14 and its index case is a Malaysian woman aged 68 who was found unconscious at home and taken to Hospital Kunak and later transferred to Hospital Tawau, where she is now undergoing treatment for stroke and heart and liver diseases. She tested positive for COVID-19 on Sept 13 and is in the intensive care unit.
Today, this cluster recorded four new cases, bringing the total of positive cases to 14. A total of 268 individuals are awaiting test results.
The Laut cluster was announced on Sept 12 and the index case is an illegal immigrant detained at a temporary detention centre in Tawau. So far, this cluster has reported four positive cases, including the wife and children of the index case. Another 31 individuals are awaiting the outcome of their COVID-19 screening.
The Benteng LD (Lahad Datu and Tawau) cluster was first detected on Sept 1 following the screening of new detainees at the Lahad Datu district police headquarters’ lockup.
As of today, this cluster had reported 550 positive cases. Out of this number, 151 were reported in Lahad Datu where another 552 individuals are still awaiting their test results.
In Tawau, 398 positive cases were reported as of today while 1,286 individuals are still waiting for their results.
-- BERNAMA
Bernama
Fri Sep 18 2020
The total number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia has increased to 10,147 while active cases swelled to 754 compared with only 151 on Sept 1. - Foto BERNAMA
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab.
MAA semak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan 2024 kepada 765,000 unit
Persatuan Automotif Malaysia (MAA) telah menyemak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan bermotor baharu bagi 2024 kepada 765,000 unit daripada anggaran sebelumnya sebanyak 740,000 unit.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya.
Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA
SAMENTA menjangkakan rasionalisasi RON95 akan memberi impak yang lebih besar kepada perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) berbanding pelarasan subsidi diesel.
Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030
Malaysia menyasarkan pengeluaran 40 peratus hasil sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030 dalam usaha membantu mengimbangi keperluan perikanan negara.
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Hujan lebat luar biasa punca ban RTB Sungai Samagagah pecah
Berdasarkan bacaan di tiga stesen berdekatan sejak beberapa hari lalu, jumlah hujan dicatatkan antara 109 mm hingga 167.5 mm.
Video muzik Blackpink 'Kill This Love' diharamkan KBS gara-gara...
Salauran television Korea Selatan, KBS telah mengharamkan muzik video 'Kill This Love' kerana dianggap tidak sesuai untuk disiarkan.
Chelsea diharamkan beli pemain untuk dua jendela perpindahan
Chelsea didapati 'berdosa' oleh FIFA kerana melanggar peraturan melibatkan pendaftaran pemain berusia bawah 18 tahun.
Air pasang besar, keadaan pantai di Selangor terkawal
Menurut kenyataan Unit Pengurusan Bencana Negeri Selangor, ban ataupun benteng kepada pesisir pantai kukuh dan berada dalam keadaan baik selain tiada rebakan berskala besar.
Fenomena air pasang: Ban pecah di Kampung Batu 5, Kapar, bukan tumpuan
Kerajaan Selangor mengakui ban yang pecah di Kampung Batu 5, Jalan Kapar, di sini akibat fenomena air pasang besar semalam bukan fokus utama penambahbaikan ban dalam peruntukan segera RM4.3 juta.
JPS cadang tambah baik ban pantai Selangor atasi fenomena air pasang besar
Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar menjelaskan secara umumnya, julat pasang surut adalah berbeza di setiap kawasan pesisir pantai Malaysia iaitu antara 1.8 meter hingga 6.1 meter.
Kerjasama kerajaan negeri Selangor diperlukan atasi masalah banjir
Tan Sri Noh Omar berkata pihaknya maklum terdapat beberapa ban (benteng) yang pecah sehingga air laut melimpah ke kawasan sekitar seterusnya menyebabkan banjir.
Paras air laut melepasi ban punca banjir kilat di Selangor
Paras air laut pasang yang melepasi ban di beberapa kawasan di pesisiran pantai Selangor dilihat punca berlakunya banjir kilat yang melanda beberapa lokasi di negeri ini.
Frost tidak tolak ansur dengan soal kecergasan pemain
Pengarah BAM, Morten Frost Hansen meminta semua pemain kebangsaan menumpukan perhatian sepenuh terhadap soal mempertingkatkan tahap kecergasan masing-masing.
MCMC urged to find mechanism to curb misuse of Facebook
Datuk Shahaniza Shamsuddin said they currently cannot ban Facebook as it also has advantages as a medium of communication.