Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the cluster that emerged in Genting Highlands, Pahang was caused by an individual who crossed state borders to visit their friends
Dr Noor Hisham made the revelation in a reply to a netizen on Twitter yesterday, 14 December.
“Be informed that the Genting Cluster has been found to be caused by an index case, a Bangladesh national, who crossed state borders from Selangor to Genting Highlands, visited and infected several friends,” he said.
“The Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) has been enforced in Amber Court, Ria Apartment, and Rumah Kongsi Kampung Semaut.”
Dimaklumkan kluster Genting telah dikenal pasti iaitu kes index seorang warga asing Bangladesh merentas sempadan negeri dari Selangor ke Genting Highland, melawat & menjangkiti rakan2. PKPD telah dikuatkuasakan di Amber Court, Ria apartment dan Rumah Kongsi Kg semaut.
— Noor Hisham Abdullah (@DGHisham) December 14, 2020
Although Dr Noor Hisham referred to the cluster as ‘Genting Cluster’ in the tweet, the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) official documentation lists it as ‘Jalan Genting Cluster’.
The cluster includes cases detected in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur and Bentong, Pahang.
Genting Highlands is located in the Bentong district.
Authorities managed to identify the cluster on 4 December after discovering new COVID-19 cases in Titiwangsa and Bentong respectively
The index case (Case 66,878) of the cluster was confirmed positive on 1 December after undergoing a COVID-19 screening at their workplace, reported Bernama.
Following that, on 9 December, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob enforce an EMCO in the three localities involving Amber Court Apartment, Ria Apartment, and Rumah Kongsi Kampung Semaut in Bentong from 10 December to 23 December.
As of Sunday, 13 December, the Jalan Genting Cluster recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases
The cluster has a total of 349 cases, according to information put out by MOH.
However, Pahang recorded zero new COVID-19 cases yesterday, 14 December.
MOH did not report any new cases in the Bentong district within the last 24 hours as well.
Although the state currently has 386 active cases, photos that went viral over the weekend show that the roads leading up to Genting Highlands were congested with vehicles
Meanwhile, the National Security Council (MKN) has denied a viral allegation that COVID-19 positive individuals are placed in First World Hotel, reported Utusan Malaysia.
Pahang MKN chairman Mohd Zairasyahil Shah Zakaria said while there are police on duty in Genting Highlands, the officers have been stationed there for a long time.
He added that part of their duty is to observe the three localities under the EMCO in the area as well.