Health DG: One of 43 new Covid-19 cases contracted virus through Hari Raya visit

PETALING JAYA: Of the 43 new Covid-19 cases reported Saturday (June 13), one contracted the virus when visiting activities were allowed on the first day of Hari Raya.

Health Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the individual came into close contact with another person (case number 7756), who tested positive in Negri Sembilan.

"Transmission occurred during the first day of Hari Raya," he said at the daily Covid-19 briefing.

Dr Noor Hisham said they had initiated active case detection, tracing all those who came into contact with them.

Malaysia has so far recorded 8,445 Covid-19 cases.

Of the 43 new Covid-19 cases recorded as of noon Saturday (June 13), five involved imported cases, including one with permanent residence status who had returned from abroad and 38 local transmissions.

The bulk of local transmissions involved non-citizens (23), while the rest are locals.

Of those involving non-citizens, 21 new cases were detected after a third swab test.

"They were exposed to positive cases at the Bukit Jalil Immigration detention centre.

"They tested negative twice before and after they were transferred to Malaysia Immigration Academy in Port Dickson.

"The third swab was taken prior to deportation, and they tested positive," he said.

Other positive cases involving foreigners include one at a vegetable wholesale market in Penampang, Sabah, and another at a plantation in Temerloh, Pahang.

Of the 15 new cases involving locals, one was detected in Wilayah Persekutuan after displaying influenza-like illness; nine cases were detected during the screening process at nine tahfiz centres in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Melaka; two involved non-medical frontliners in Sabak Bernam; one was a civil servant in Seremban who tested positive prior to returning to Sabah; and the one who came into contact with case number 7756 on the first day of Hari Raya in Negri Sembilan.

Another case was detected in Temerloh, Pahang, during community screening, and one was detected at an elderly care centre in Melaka Tengah.

Malaysia also recorded one death on June 12, bringing the total number of deaths to 120 cases.

It involved a 96-year-old Malaysian woman who died at home and later tested positive for Covid-19 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Sabah.

The authorities were still investigating the source of infection, and actively tracing close contacts.

Dr Noor Hisham also warned that action would be taken under Act 342 against those falsifying Covid-19 test results.

On a foreign barber who tested positive for Covid-19, prompting calls to reverse the decision to allow barbershops to resume operation, Dr Noor Hisham said the patient had been illegally making house calls during the movement control order.

"The barber tested positive, as we have imposed a condition that all foreign workers must be screened for Covid-19 prior to resuming business operations," he said.

The authorities are now tracing all his customers and other close contacts.