31 new cases detected, lowest since March 12

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia reported 31 new Covid-19 cases, the lowest daily figure since the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) in the country.

The last time Malaysia had fewer than 31 new cases in a day was March 12 when there were only nine cases recorded.

The MCO started on March 18.

It is also the 12th day in a row that Malaysia has recorded double digits in its daily figures.

The total number of Covid-19 infections in the country is now 5,851, with only 1,719 active cases currently receiving treatment at the country’s health facilities.

At the Health Ministry’s daily Covid-19 press conference here, director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah also announced the country’s 100th death – a 67-year-old man with a history of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke.

“He has been receiving treatment at Hospital Sungai Buloh since April 4 and was pronounced dead at 9.40am on April 28, ” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said active case detection was being carried out at the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market to track other traders and close contacts of Covid-19-positive cases there.

He said the positive cases in the locality, which was placed under enhanced MCO, were linked to the Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling tabligh gathering cluster.

“There are 74 positive cases linked to the area, where 13 cases are not from the wholesale market but are traders from other markets.

“They bought vegetables there and returned to other markets such as the market in Bahau (Negri Sembilan), ” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham said when they detected positive cases there, they screened and traced contacts of those who were found to be positive, and carried out disinfection of the markets.

“We have done the same for the markets in Taman Megah and Jalan Othman (both in Petaling Jaya) and the one in Chow Kit (KL), ” he said.

The Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling tabligh gathering was held from Feb 27 to March 1.

So far, 2,155 people related to the tabligh cluster have tested positive for Covid-19.

Dr Noor Hisham said the country would have had fewer cases if the tabligh cluster had been detected much earlier.

“Nearly 40% of our total cases were related to this cluster. We were only aware about the gathering on March 9, which was nine days too late. By then, the participants had returned to their hometowns and villages, ” he said.

Dr Noor Hisham, however, said that the ministry had so far managed to keep the spread of the virus under control despite the challenges involved.

He added that the country was now moving towards recovery and hoping to record single digits by the middle of May.

“We can achieve single digits but this requires every single Malaysian embracing the new norms.

“If there is no necessity to go out, stay at home. That is the safest thing you can do, and you will prevent the transmission of the virus from one person to another, ” he said.

On the reopening of the economic sectors, he said the standard operating procedure was already in place.

“We are opening up in phases. The priority will be given to the construction industry and the big industries, then we will open up the service industry, slowly but surely.”

The country is currently in the fourth phase of the MCO, which is scheduled to end on May 12.

Movement is still highly restricted but the government has slowly begun reopening the commercial sectors.