.jpg "Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah speaks during a press conference in Putrajaya December 2, 2020. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon")
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 6 — The Health Ministry today recorded three new Covid-19 clusters in Malaysia with one each in Negri Sembilan, Johor and Sabah.
Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the first of the three was in Seremban.
Dubbed the Ceram cluster, a total of 171 from 450 people screened have tested positive.
Dr Noor Hisham said the index patient was case number 65468 who tested positive for Covid-19 on November 30 after exhibiting symptoms of the virus.
A subsequent screening of the first patient’s colleagues led to 170 more infected patients identified.
The second cluster is the Pulau Berhala cluster dated in Sandakan, Sabah. Its index patient has the local infection number 52,089 who tested positive on November 20 during a communal screening.
“Up to December 6, 2020, a total of 208 individuals have been tested, where 24 cases have returned positive for Covid-19 from this cluster,” Dr Noor Hisham said in his statement.
Today’s third and last new cluster identified has been dubbed the Jalan Tampoi cluster in Johor Baru. Its index case has the local infection number 67,151 and tested positive on December 1 after suffering symptoms.
To date, Dr Noor Hisham said some 212 people have been screened with 17 positive cases detected.
Up to December 6, he said a total of 388 Covid-18 clusters have been detected within the country, including the three new ones reported today.
“The number of clusters which have ended is a total of 201 clusters, including three that ended today which are the Palma, Merpati, and Makekar clusters.
“This brings the total number of active clusters still under observation to 187, and from this number, only 49 clusters reported new cases today,” he wrote.
Dr Noor Hisham explained the clusters with the most new cases are the Ceram cluster with 155 new infections, the Jalan Harapan Prison cluster with 141 new cases, 92 new infections from the Cergas cluster and 92 more from the Tembok cluster.