COVID-19 | The Health Ministry today reported 649 new Covid-19 cases. No new deaths were reported, while recovered cases exceeded new cases for the first time in nearly a month.

Leading indicators in brief:

• Active cases = 10,087 ↓ (First drop after 23 consecutive days of increases)
• Patients in intensive care = 89 ↑ (17 more than previous day)
• Intubated patients = 32 ↓ (9 fewer than previous day)
• Deaths = 0 (First time since Oct 7)
  

There were 685 cases that recovered and were discharged today, for a cumulative total of 19,757 recoveries so far.

Sabah accounted for 458 of the discharged cases today, followed by Selangor (94) and Kedah (68).

The death toll was unchanged at 246, of which Sabah accounted for 46.3 percent.

Of the 649 new infections, seven were imported cases – five from Indonesia, one from India, and one from the Philippines.

Sabah still accounted for the majority of local infections at 352 cases (54.2 percent), while Klang Valley states and territories accounted for 159 cases (24.5 percent).

Covid-19 clusters in prisons accounted for only 36 cases today – 34 from the Tembok cluster in Alor Setar, and two from the Remand Prison cluster in Penang.

A breakdown of the new cases is as follows:

Sabah (352 new cases):

• 44 from existing clusters
• 7 from Sakti cluster (New cluster)
• 4 from Tuguson cluster (New cluster)
• 170 from contact tracing
• 127 from other screening

Selangor (132 new cases):

• 64 from existing clusters
• 2 from Taman Laut cluster (New cluster)
• 4 from Bah Medan cluster (New Cluster)
• 41 from contact tracing
• 21 from other screening

Negeri Sembilan (43 new cases):

• 20 from existing clusters
• 16 from Taman Bunga cluster (New cluster)
• 5 from contact tracing
• 2 from other screening

Kedah - 37 new cases from existing clusters

Kuala Lumpur (21 cases)

• 12 from existing clusters
• 8 from contact tracing
• 1 from other screening

Labuan (17 cases)

• 15 from existing clusters
• 2 from contact tracing

Johor (10 cases)

• 9 from existing clusters
• 1 from other screening

Sarawak (8 cases)

• 7 from existing clusters
• 1 from other screening

Perak (5 cases)

• 4 from existing clusters
• 1 from other screening

Pahang - 1 case from other screening

Malacca - 1 case from existing cluster

Terengganu - 1 case from existing cluster

Putrajaya - 1 case from contact tracing.

Five new clusters have been reported today, of which Negeri Sembilan’s Taman Bunga cluster affecting the districts of Seremban, Kuala Pilah, and Jelebu is the largest.

The cluster’s index case (Case 27711) tested positive on Oct 25 after showing symptoms. Contact tracing found another 22 cases including the 16 reported today.

The Sakti cluster’s index case (Case 12995) was detected through workplace screening on Oct 5, and contact tracing identified another 17 cases. All cases were detected in Sabah’s Lahad Datu district.

The Tuguson cluster in Kota Belud, Sabah has 18 cases so far including the four detected today. Its index case (Case 19066) tested positive on Oct 15.

The Bah Medan cluster in Sepang, Selangor involved a traveller (Case 12112) who visited Sabah and subsequently tested positive for Covid-19 on Oct 3. There are 20 cases identified in the cluster so far.

The Taman Laut cluster in Selangor’s Petaling district has six cases so far including two new cases today. Its index case (Case 25431) tested positive on Oct 21 after showing Covid-19 symptoms.