Health Ministry: 12 new cases from Pedas cluster

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has found 12 new Covid-19 infections from the Pedas cluster in Negri Sembilan.

The cluster, which is linked to a chicken factory in Pedas, Rembau, has resulted in 316 positive cases since early May.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a total of 957 individuals related to the cluster, comprising 844 close contacts and 113 family members, have been screened.

Of the 316 positive cases, 14 are Malaysians while the others are from Nepal (163), Bangladesh (67), Myanmar (35), Indonesia (31), India (four), Vietnam (one) and Cambodia (one).

“This cluster originated from Malaysian workers and foreign workers at the workplace were infected.

“The cramped and congested living conditions of the foreign workers is the main factor contributing to the spread of the virus.

“All workers under this cluster have been put under quarantine and isolated from the community, and therefore are not a risk to the public.

“Today’s 12 new cases were detected from the fifth Covid-19 testing conducted on those under quarantine,” said Dr Noor Hisham at the ministry’s Covid-19 press conference here.

So far, 252 patients under this cluster have recovered, which means there are 64 active cases that are still under treatment.

Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry is hoping the cluster can be ended “as soon as possible”.

“Whatever it is, this cluster is under control as they are all under quarantine and not exposed to the community,” he said.

As of Monday (June 22), there are 289 active cases left in the country.