Covid-19: Nearly 70% of cases are sporadic, almost half detected in Klang Valley

PUTRAJAYA: Nearly 70% of Covid-19 infections recorded in the country this year are sporadic cases, with almost half of them detected in the Klang Valley alone, says Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The Health director-general said from Jan 1 to June 19, the country recorded 578,105 Covid-19 cases, of which 398,846 (69%) are sporadic cases.

“There are 151,725 (38%) sporadic cases recorded in Selangor and 44,517 in Kuala Lumpur (11.2%).

“Sporadic cases mean cases that have been detected in the community, and cannot be linked to any existing clusters.

“These sporadic cases are detected from screening activities at workplaces and the community.

“What is worrying here is that many sporadic cases do not have symptoms and they are able to infect anyone near them if they do not adhere to Covid-19 standard operating procedures,” said Dr Noor Hisham in his daily Covid-19 statement on Monday (June 21).

He said the top three districts recording the most number of sporadic cases are Petaling with 3,905, Hulu Langat (2,783) and Klang (2,482).

Due to that, Dr Noor Hisham urged the public, especially Klang Valley residents, to continue practising “self-lockdown” by staying at home and avoiding meeting other people as much as possible.

“The Klang Valley is an area with high density population, and the people there are not only exposed to sporadic cases in the community, but also asymptomatic cases.

“In other words, it is difficult for us to know who has Covid-19 among ourselves.

“Therefore, it is very important for everyone to be aware of this matter, and to protect themselves and their family from the dangers of Covid-19,” said Dr Noor Hisham.

He said those who develop symptoms or have been in close contact with a Covid-19 patient to immediately undergo testing.

“If your test results come back positive, inform the Health Ministry using the self-notification feature on the MySejahtera app, or contact the nearest health district office.

“Bring your test results to the nearest Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) for evaluation. The list of CACs can be found at http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/hotline

“If you are asked to undergo the Home Surveillance Order (HSO), adhere to all rules. Do not mingle with other members of the household or leave home in that period.

“You risk infecting other people,” he said.