VIRAL " SAD NEWS - NEW PRISON CLUSTER IN SABAH STATE "

FOUR NEW COVID -19 CLUSTERS DETECTED, INCLUDING NEW PRISON CLUSTER IN SABAH STATE

Kuala Lumpur, October 18, 2020 - A total of four new COVID-19 clusters have emerged, Health Director - General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed today.

Dubbed the Bah layangan Cluster, Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the first cluster - located in the Federal Territory of Labuan, and Rembau, Negeri Sembilan - involved a symptomatic index patient who had tested positive on October 10, 2020 that has since been admitted to Labuan Hospital.

" Close contact screening subsequently identified 12 more positive cases from a screening of 142 people.

" As of today, 13 positive cases have been reported while 67 have tested negative so far and 62 awaiting their results," he said.

In Penang, the Alma Cluster - located in Seberang Perai Selatan and also Seberang Perai Tengah - involved a symptomatic index patient who had tested positive on October 14, 2020 and subsequently admitted to Penang Hospital.

" Close contact screenings subsequently identified six (6) more positive cases.

" As of today, seven (7) positive cases have been reported while 43 have tested negative so far and 133 awaiting their results," Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

He also said the third (3) Cluster - which spans Petaling, Kuala Langat and lastly Klang in Selangor - dubbed the Auto Cluster, involved a symptomatic index patient who underwent screening and tested positive on October 15, 2020 that has since been admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital.

" Close contact screenings subsequently identified eight (8) more positive cases.

" As of today, nine (9) positive cases have been reported and the cause of infection under investigation, " Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.

Adding on to Sabah's ongoing list of active clusters in the newly identified Penjara Kepayan Cluster with the index patient testing positive for COVID-19 following their admittance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu on October 14, 2020.

" Close contact screenings subsequently identified 48 more positive cases from a screening of 170 people.

" As of today, 49 positive cases have been reported while 121 have tested negative so far, " he said.

@ Jackie San