UPDATED 10AM | 1 Utama mall cluster reported to be at least 105
Editor's note: Story updated to include 1 Utama shopping complex's rebuttal of Petaling JBPD regarding number of positive cases.
COVID-19 | The Covid-19 cluster involving the 1 Utama shopping complex has grown to at least 105 cases as of this morning, according to an update by the Petaling District Disaster Management Committee (Petaling JBPD).
In a Facebook post, it said the number of those infected which was at 63 cases at noon yesterday has now increased to 105...
Editor's note: Story updated to include 1 Utama shopping complex's rebuttal of Petaling JBPD regarding number of positive cases.
COVID-19 | The Covid-19 cluster involving the 1 Utama shopping complex has grown to at least 105 cases as of this morning, according to an update by the Petaling District Disaster Management Committee (Petaling JBPD).
In a Facebook post, it said the number of those infected which was at 63 cases at noon yesterday has now increased to 105.
"There is a rise in the Utama cluster cases that were reported yesterday with 79 security personnel, 18 cleaners, and eight tenants - one from C&C Cookies, one from Daiso, and six from Teh Tarik Place.
"All cases in the Utama cluster are not Malaysian citizens, with the exception of the worker at Daiso," said the Petaling JPDB.
However in a statement this morning, the 1 Utama Shopping Centre's management disputed the earlier tally of 63, saying that there was misinformation on 44 Covid-19 positive security guards.
"We would like to hereby state that the 44 Covid-19 positive cases of security guards mentioned in Petaling JBPD's report did not originate from 1 Utama and was not part of the 6,000 mass testing that we conducted.
"They are in fact outsourced contract guards from a third party service provider when Covid-19 was contracted through a dormitory and not within our premises," said 1 Utama.
In yesterday's update the Petaling JBPD stated that one of those who tested positive was from the mall's management and that three shoppers had also tested positive.
Petaling JBPD chairperson Johary Anuar said yesterday that 6,000 workers at the shopping complex have been screened and testing on shoppers at the mall has begun with 110 tested so far.
“In light of this situation and based on recommendations from the Petaling District Health Office, the Petaling JBPD has decided that the 1 Utama shopping complex management should continue testing on all workers.
“The complex’s management must also ensure that its security company appoints new security personnel, who must not be appointed among those who are close contacts of the infected security workers.
“All new security personnel must undergo Covid-19 screening before starting work,” Johary said in a statement.
1 Utama was shut down on Oct 11 after several cases were detected amongst the mall’s workers.
The Health Ministry stated that there were five new cases in the 24 hours up to noon yesterday for the “Utama cluster”, for a total of 27 cases.
Separately, the nearby Tesco Extra Mutiara Damansara said an intern working at the hypermarket tested positive for Covid-19.
As such, it said it would be cleaning and disinfecting its premises overnight and will reopen at 10am today.
The notice was put up on Tesco’s Facebook page yesterday at 8pm, but a shopper told Malaysiakini that the store continued to operate after the notice was posted.
When contacted, Tesco’s customer service personnel confirmed the hypermarket continued to operate until 10pm yesterday.
The shopper, meanwhile, complained that he had unknowingly continued shopping at the hypermarket despite the recent detection of a Covid-19 case and was only informed by a friend afterward.
As for the Bah Tropicana cluster involving the Tropicana Golf and Country Resort, Johary said there were 25 cases so far.
These comprise the initial seven cases who returned from Semporna, Sabah, and 18 of their close contacts.
Of the 25 cases, Johary said eight are the golf resort’s employees, and another seven are employees at Tropicana’s hostel. Five work outside the Tropicana group and another five are unemployed.
He said 350 hostel dwellers have been tested so far.
“The Petaling JBPD will consider reopening Tropicana Golf and Country Resort after obtaining the views of recommendations from the Petaling District Health Office,” he added.
For the enhanced movement control order imposed on the hostel since Oct 12, Johary said the committee will consider recommending the order to be lifted once all hostel dwellers have been tested and results have been obtained.
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