New ‘Bunga cluster’ found on ship’s crew

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has identified a new isolated cluster – the “Bunga cluster” – involving a ship’s crew in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan. The ship has a travel history to a port in Singapore.

“A total of 34 crewmen were screened on Aug 28, and from the total, four tested positive for Covid-19, six tested negative and 24 others are still awaiting results,” said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic) in a statement yesterday.

He said the four positive cases were asymptomatic and involved two Malaysians and two non-Malaysians.

“After being tested positive, the patients were sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital, thus not posing any risk of local community transmission as it is an isolated imported cluster,” he said.

“Prevention and control measures such as disinfection and decontamination have been carried out on the vessel,” he said, adding that the cause of infection was still under investigation.

Meanwhile, one Covid-19-related death from the Tawar cluster was reported yesterday, raising the country’s death toll to 127 or 1.36% out of the total number of Covid-19 cases.

Dr Noor Hisham said the 127th death involved a 62-year-old Malaysian man who had a history of diabetes and high blood pressure.

The man started experiencing cough symptoms on Aug 11 and was admitted to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Kedah on Aug 13 after he tested positive for Covid-19.

“His health condition deteriorated and he was in need of respiratory assistance since Aug 19. His death was announced on Sunday at 10.35pm,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

The total number of Covid-19 infections saw a single digit increase yesterday, with six new Covid-19 cases recorded, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 9,340 cases.

“Out of the six new cases, four were imported cases reported in Selangor which happened abroad involving two Malaysians and two non-Malaysians.

Two locally transmitted cases involved Malaysians who were from Kedah, with one belonging to the Tawar cluster and another from the Telaga cluster.

“Six patients have recovered, raising the cumulative total for recoveries to 9,054,” he said.