Covid-19: Five new clusters today in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Perak, and Kedah

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — The Health Ministry detected five new Covid-19 clusters today in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, Perak and Kedah.

Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said two clusters were in the national capital. Both the Tapak Bina Jalan Panah and Menara Wang clusters originated from Lembah Pantai.

He said that in Perak, a cluster dubbed Hala Mutiara is spreading across the Kinta district.

In Kedah, a cluster dubbed Kolam Air had cases in Kota Setar and Kubang Pasu.

And in Sabah, Covid-19 cases detected in Tenom and Keningau have been found to come from the same source. Health authorities have dubbed it the Saga Tengah cluster.

He said the Tapak Bina Jalan Panah cluster was found to have originated from a Covid-19 positive case discovered through targeted workplace screening on December 7 involving a construction site.

He added that close contact screenings were conducted and 21 more positive cases were detected.

Another workplace cluster dubbed Tapak Bina Pelangi had formed in Lembah Pantai. It originated from a worker who tested positive today during the mandatory workplace screening on all construction sites.

Dr Noor Hisham said the Hala Mutiara cluster originated from screening done on a person under custody on December 12.

“As of 12pm today, 51 people have been screened under the Hala Mutiara cluster with seven more positive cases found,” Dr Noor Hisham said.

He said the index patient in the Kolam Air cluster also was found on December 12 during a screening done on a person under custody.

As of today, 84 have undergone screenings and 14 found positive.

In Sabah, the new cluster is dubbed Saga Tengah and originated from an asymptomatic individual screening on December 18.

A total of 298 close contact screenings were conducted today and found 16 more positive results.

Dr Noor Hisham added that three clusters ― Kiambang, Padang, and Liawan ― ended today.