By Ida Nadirah Ibrahim
SUBANG JAYA, March 24 — A total of 106 new positive Covid-19 cases was reported as of noon today, bringing the total number of cases in Malaysia to 1,624.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said based on preliminary investigations, 43 of the 106 new cases were linked to the tabligh assembly cluster at Jamek Sri Petaling Mosque.
The remaining 63 news cases are from identified clusters that are under investigation.
He said 24 patients had recovered and discharged today, raising the number of fully recovered cases to 183 so far.
“A total of 64 positive Covid-19 cases are still being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 27 of them require respiratory aid,” he told a press briefing on Covid-19 in Putrajaya today.
Earlier today, Dr Noor Hisham had in a statement announced the 15th Covid-19 related death.
The deceased was a 70-year-old male Malaysian citizen, case 1,519, who came from Malacca, was suspected to have close contact with a positive Covid-19 case, case 703, who had attended the tabligh gathering.
“The patient also had preexisting conditions of diabetes and high blood pressure,” he said today.
Dr Noor Hisham said the deceased was treated at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar, Johor, on March, 18. However, the patient’s health had deteriorated and was admitted to the ICU before he was declared dead on March 24, 2020, at 5.35 am.
Meanwhile, when asked on the possible extension of the movement control order, Dr Noor Hisham said the Health Ministry will review the situation between the 10th to 12th day of the order period before a decision is made.
“If you follow our instructions, help the Ministry of Health, help the government to stay at home to break the chain of infection, then we have a small opportunity to break the transmission of the virus. But if you do not follow our instruction, despite what has been done by the ministry, then the virus will continue to spread.
“The success or failure does not depend on the ministry of health, but in each and every one of you… the choice is on the public.”
Dr Noor Hisham had also suggested stringent action should be taken against the public that continues to defy the order.
“We are trying to use the carrot first, I’ve been using the carrot for the last couple of weeks, but perhaps it is time for us to use the stick,” he said.
