KUALA LUMPUR: Three out of six new Covid-19 cases in the country are local infections with two linked to the Benteng LD cluster in Sabah.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the other local transmission involved a severe acute respiratory infection case currently being treated at the Penang Hospital.
"The two new cases linked to the Benteng LD cluster are Case-9,395 and Case-9,396. Case-9,395 is a close contact to Case-9,351 and was found symptomatic on Sept 1, then warded to Tawau Hospital on Sept 2.
"Case-9,396 is a relative of Case-9,395. The patient tested positive on Sept 5, and is now at the Tawau Hospital for treatment," he said in a statement today.
To date, 776 people linked to the cluster have been screened. The two new patients bring the cumulative number of positive cases linked to the cluster to 16.
Dr Noor Hisham said in Lahad Datu, 420 people had been screened where seven tested positive, 259 tested negative and 154 were still awaiting results.
"In Tawau, 356 people have been screened. Nine were found positive, 67 negative, while 280 people are still awaiting results," he added.
Meanwhile, the three remaining positive cases are imported cases involving foreigners.
Two are from Indonesia and one from Bangladesh, all detected in Kuala Lumpur.
The six new cases bring the tally to 9,397, with 154 active cases.
Dr Noor Hisham said six patients were currently being treated at intensive care units.
Another two patients have recovered and discharged, increasing the cumulative number of recoveries to 9,115 or 97 per cent.
No new fatalities were recorded, with the death toll standing at 128 (1.36 per cent).