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DG: This is probably the start of a new wave

COVID-19 | Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said Malaysia was probably experiencing a "new wave" as Covid-19 case numbers continued to climb.

"If we look at the chart, we have an increase in cases lately. That probably is the beginning of a new wave," he told a press conference today.

New Covid-19 case numbers reported today hit 260. The bulk of the cases (88) were detected in a jail in Kedah and was identified as the Tembok cluster, while another cluster in Sabah (74) involved only foreigners.

The number of new cases today was the highest registered since June 4. During the first wave of Covid-19 cases in March and April, daily figures were below 260 though at the time Malaysia's testing capabilities were below current levels.

Noor Hisham said the authorities were more experienced now in handling the Covid-19 outbreak but the onus was still on Malaysians to flatten the rate of infection by following government guidelines.

"So you can see the cases are increasing. If we can come together, we can make the impossible possible. We have done that before and we are going to do it again," he said.

The number of active Covid-19 cases today reached 1,334 which is at a level not seen since early June. Nine people died of Covid-19 in September, bringing the cumulative death toll to 136.


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