Benteng cluster swells as 182 new Covid-19 cases reported

COVID-19 | The number of active Covid-19 cases exceeded 500 today as the Benteng LD cluster continues to swell.

The Health Ministry said it has detected 182 new cases in the 24 hours up to noon today. Together with 14 people who had just recovered, this brings the number of active cases to 501.

This is the highest number of new cases reported in a single day since the recovery movement control order was implemented on June 10, surpassing a record set just three days ago when 100 new infections were recorded on Sept 8.

Of the new cases, 167 were attributed to the Benteng LD cluster in Tawau and Lahad Datu, Sabah; while another 11 were attributed to the Sungai cluster and three to the Telaga cluster in Kedah.

One imported case was also reported which involved a Philippine national.

In a statement today, the ministry’s director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said of the 167 new cases in the Benteng LD cluster, 76 are Malaysian citizens of whom 70 are prisoners.

The remainder are foreigners, of whom 61 are Filipinos and 30 are Indonesians.

Six new cases (Case 9791 to Case 9763) involved civilians who had come into close contact with a prison officer (Case 9395) who was infected.

All of the new cases today were detected in Tawau district, where 2,067 people have been tested so far with 250 tested positive, 625 tested negative and 1,192 are still pending results.

In Lahad Datu where the cluster was first detected, 770 have been tested so far, of which 87 tested positive, 291 tested negative and 392 are still pending results.

For the Sungai cluster, 2,170 people have been tested so far, of whom 51 tested positive, including the 11 new cases today. Another 1,536 tested negative and 583 are still pending results.

In the Telaga cluster, 4,766 people had been tested, of whom 16 tested positive, 4,658 tested negative and 92 are pending results.

All three new cases in the Telaga cluster involve relatives and close contacts of healthcare workers at a private hospital.

“The current situation of the clusters and areas under administrative enhanced movement control order will be informed from time to time.

“So far, the implementation is going smoothly and cooperation from the local community is excellent,” Noor Hisham added.

Of the 501 active cases, nine are currently being treated in intensive care units, of whom five need ventilator support. The figures are unchanged since yesterday.

The death toll is also unchanged at 128 for today.