Covid-19: 60 clusters identified from Raya, Gawai celebrations, says Health Ministry

PETALING JAYA: A total of 60 festival clusters have been recorded in the past three weeks, stemming from Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Gawai celebrations, says the Health Ministry.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said from May 13 to June 10, the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations recorded 58 clusters, while the Hari Gawai festival recorded two clusters.

"With these clusters, a total of 13, 023 individuals have been screened in which 3, 511 Covid-19 cases have been recorded, making the positivity rate at 27%.

"Of the 3, 511 cases, 20 deaths were reported, and to date, 11 cases are still in the intensive care unit (ICU)," he said in a statement on Thursday (June 10).

Dr Noor Hisham said the states that recorded the highest festival clusters were Sabah with 11 clusters, followed by Sarawak (eight clusters) and Kedah (seven clusters).

Kelantan and Perak recorded six clusters each, while Johor and Pahang each recorded five clusters.

Melaka recorded three clusters, while Penang, Selangor, Labuan recorded two clusters each.

Terengganu, Negri Sembilan and Kuala Lumpur recorded one cluster each.

"The increasing cases and deaths in these festival clusters is serious and worrying, as it occurred in such a short period of time.

"If the community remains complacent and does not take heed nor learn from the mistakes of visiting and inter-state activities during the festive season, it is not impossible for another sudden increase in cases to recur in our country.

"It is the responsibility of all parties to protect the vulnerable groups, especially our aging parents in our hometowns by not exposing them to the virus," he said.

Dr Noor Hisham added that we should also emulate our neighbours who have successfully controlled the Covid-19 situation well in their country.

He noted that they have proven that with the cooperation of all parties and high adherence to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that is outlined, the return of a normal life can become a reality.

"Malaysians are urged to stay home if they do not have any pressing matters outside. Register yourself and your family for the Covid-19 vaccine so that we can achieve herd immunity and to create a safe environment for all layers of society," he said.