KUALA SELANGOR: Two more Chinese nationals have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in Malaysia to 21, as of today.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said a man aged 27 and a 32-year-old woman had their clinical samples taken as they were about to enter the country on Friday.
“The man, a business traveller, was screened at the Bukit Kayu Hitam Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) in Kedah and a throat swab was taken.
“He was from Guangzhou in China and it was his first time entering Malaysia.
“The clinical sample was confirmed positive of Covid-19 this morning. He has been placed at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital’s isolation ward and we are also conducting a contact tracing.
“The woman, who has been living in Malaysia, had gone back to China to visit her family from Jan 22 to Jan 30,” he said here at SK Desa Aman in Desa Coalfields today.
Dr Dzulkefly, who is Kuala Selangor MP, had earlier handed over 5,000 bottles of sanitisers to over 30 schools in the constituency.
The sanitisers were contributed by Elite Advanced Materials Sdn Bhd which was represented by its managing director Goo Xin Yi.
Dr Dzulkefly said Malaysia does not need to close its international borders to Chinese nationals as China had already barred citizens living in Covid-19 affected provinces namely Hubei, Zhejiang and Jiangsu from travelling.
“We do not need it, as China itself has imposed a lockdown. We do screenings on Chinese nationals as soon as they arrive and it will be more stringent from now onwards.
“We are doing this based on the instructions of World Health Organisation (WHO) and we look into our country’s needs.
“We are implementing the best approaches but we are ready to heighten any effort that is needed in the future,” he said.
Dr Dzulkefy said that a latest report published by WHO on Friday had stated there was no dramatic increase of Covid-19 globally and that has provided Malaysia with a little relief.
He urged the people not to panic as the ministry was ready to tackle Covid-19 with the activation of the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre in Putrajaya last December.
He said it was vital that the public equip themselves with information and knowledge of Covid-19 to avoid unnecessary anxiety.
He said the infectivity rate of Covid-19 in China was high at between 4.8 and 5 per cent.
However, Dr Dzulkefly said the rate for the entire world at 25 affected countries, including Malaysia, stood at 0.5 to 1 per cent in comparison to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) which was 10 per cent and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) at 30 per cent.
“We are at the tail end of the cluster infection of Covid-19 but we should not be comfortable with it. Those with bouts of cough should isolate themselves and avoid crowded places. If you have respiratory tract infection symptoms and sneezing, wear masks to avoid infecting others.
“Parents should also go back to basics and teach their child hand washing techniques with soap and use sanitisers,” he said.