Coronavirus: Malaysia's total cases at 4,683, but with 45% of patients recovered and discharged

A health officer conducts a temperature screening at a testing site in Kuala Lumpur on April 12, 2020. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

PUTRAJAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia has recorded another 153 Covid-19 cases on Sunday (April 12), pushing the tally to 4,683, with three new deaths bringing the death toll to 76.

The ministry of health's director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said 113 patients had recovered and been discharged, bringing the total number of recovered cases to 2,108.

"This represents 45 per cent of all cases detected," he said during his daily press update on Covid-19.

He added that the three people who died all had cases of chronic disease.

Datuk Noor Hisham said that there were 2,499 active cases of Covid-19, and that those with the disease were isolated and treated in hospital.

There are currently 66 patients being treated at intensive care units (ICUs), with 37 of them requiring ventilators.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said 41 students from the Tabligh cluster have fully recovered from Covid-19 as of Sunday.

The patients, who were students from a tahfiz Islamic school in Sri Petaling, were discharged on Sunday.

The cluster originated from a mass gathering of some 16,000 people, including 1,500 foreign nationals, of the Tabligh missionary group known as Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling between Feb 27 and March 1.

Attendees of the gathering at the edge of Kuala Lumpur unknowingly caused infections in Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry has identified sub-clusters of Covid-19 cases at several Islamic schools across the country after they had close contact with participants of the same Tabligh gathering.

These madrasah are located in Pahang, Pulau Pinang, Selangor and Melaka states, with many of those infected discharged after successful treatment.

A total of 62 positive cases were detected in a sub-cluster at a madrasah in Jerantut, Pahang, while at a madrasah sub-cluster in Peranti, Penang, a total of six positive cases were detected.

In Selangor's Sungai Lui madrasah sub-cluster in Selangor has seen 90 positive cases detected, while 37 tested positive at an Islamic school in Jasin, Melaka.

Dr Noor Hisham urged the public not to blame or discriminate against any patients or groups linked to Covid-19 clusters.

"Don't stigmatise them. What is important is we detect and treat those detected with Covid-19 together with their close contacts and families.

"The public is urged to give their cooperation to the agencies involved to curb the spread of the disease," he said.

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