PUTRAJAYA: The Tembok cluster in Kedah which contributed to the recent spate in Covid-19 cases is isolated from the public, assures the Health Ministry.
Addressing the public live on the country’s Covid-19 situation, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah stressed that the majority of the country’s cases are from the Tembok cluster.
“From the 691 new Covid-19 cases, 394 are from the Tembok cluster, which is from the Alor Setar prison in Kedah. This makes up 57% of today’s total cases.
“All the positive cases detected in the Tembok cluster are within the targeted enhanced movement control order (MCO) area.
“This means they are isolated from the community,” said Dr Noor Hisham, in his Covid-19 briefing that was telecast live from home quarantine on Tuesday (Oct 6).
The Tembok cluster has now become the biggest and most active cluster in the country, with 1,047 positive cases within it so far.
The cluster was detected on Sept 30 following the death of a 46-year-old man who had worked at the prison.
A Covid-19 test after his death found the man to have been infected with the virus.
Subsequent tests discovered the infection within the cluster has spread among prison inmates.
The government imposed the targeted enhanced MCO at the prison and its surrounding staff quarters for 14 days beginning Sunday (Oct 4).
