Covid-19 cases go up by 12, total now 129: PMO

CORONAVIRUS | The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today announced 12 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total number of cases in Malaysia to 129.

All 12 new cases are tied to a cluster of infection from Patient 33.

Meanwhile, it also announced in a statement that case 87 has recovered from the illness, making the patient the 25th one in the country to recover and be discharged.

There were no further details about the 12 new cases and how they contracted the disease.

The PMO again reminded the public on some preventive measures against Covid-19, such as avoiding crowded places and keeping at least a one-metre distance from the next person.

The public was also reminded to take care of their hygiene by washing their hands often or using hand sanitisers.

They should also practice good cough etiquette by closing their nose and mouth with a tissue while coughing or sneezing, followed by washing their hands.

Medical treatment should be sought immediately if the public were to fall sick especially with symptoms like fever, cough or difficulty breathing.

They must also be honest about their travel history with their doctor, it said.

Though PMO was scarce with the details of the 12 new cases, several affected stakeholders have come forth with some additional information.

The Kuala Lumpur Metropolitan Archdiocese crisis management task force said they have found two other parishioners from the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Puchong who have tested positive.

The two were in close contact with the first parishioner confirmed positive for the virus.

Another two parishioners, who may have come into contact with confirmed patients outside the parish, are also now under investigation and have been quarantined, it said.

“The church considers the safety of those who worship there as paramount.

“It has undertaken cleaning and disinfection efforts in compliance with current safety protocols and standards,” it said in a statement.

Similarly, the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) has also revealed that one of their members has been confirmed to have contracted the disease and admitted to hospital for further treatment.

The member visited the Jalan Raja Laut branch on Feb 27 at 2pm and tested positive on March 3, but presently EPF is unable to confirm whether the member was already infected at the time of his/her visit.

The staff who was in contact with the member has been sent for testing while the remaining staff of the branch have been placed under quarantine, it said.

“We have decided to take the proactive measure of closing the branch until Friday, March 13 to conduct thorough disinfection of the affected area and its vicinity.

“The said branch will reopen on Monday, March 16,” EPF said in a statement, adding that other branches will remain open.

They also reassured all customers that they have initiated cleaning protocols at all branches since February to manage the risk of Covid-19.

Plaza33 has also announced that there was a confirmed Covid-19 case involving one of their tenants’ agents who attended a training at Plaza33 on March 4.

“Upon confirmation of the confirmed case by the Health Ministry, the said tenant has immediately done contact tracing to identify and inform those who had come in close contact with the said agent, where those identified have been advised to quarantine themselves at home,” it said.

The tenant has also carried out a thorough sanitisation and disinfection process in the affected area.

Plaza33 also advised all other tenants to carry out a similar process in their office premises should the need arise while visitors to the offices are encouraged to complete a short questionnaire to confirm their recent travels as additional preventive measures.

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