PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry has confirmed 18 new positive cases of Covid-19 as of noon today, bringing the tally to 117 in the country.
Its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the patient identified as case 101 was reported to be a businessman with a travel history to Iran.
“The patient had visited Iran from Feb 20 to 27, with his business partner.
“The case was found showing symptoms on March 5, was tested positive on March 8 and is now isolated and being treated at Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Negri Sembilan.
“With the addition of 18 cases, it brings the total to 117 positive cases of Covid-19. From the total, 19 are identified as patient-under-investigation (PUI), 96 from close contact and two more from humanitarian missions,” he told the press at the ministry here today.
Dr Noor Hishamsaid for the cases found from the second wave (case 23 to 117), only six were found among PUI and had a travel history abroad.
“The other cases were involved in the cluster from the same close contacts and linked to one another,” he said.
Dr Noor Hisham also said two cases were placed in the intensive care unit since yesterday in Hospital Sungai Buloh and Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor respectively. The patients were aided by breathing ventilators.
When asked if one of the patients is Case 26, Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry would not reveal any information on their patients based on the Code of Professional Conduct of the Medical Act 1971 (Amendment 2012).
The code states that medical practitioners must ensure the confidentiality of a patient's personal information is maintained unless the patient discloses his or her information voluntarily.
Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry was still conducting Covid-19 surveillance to detect sporadic and local cases in Malaysia through influenza-like-illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patients, with no history of traveling to affected countries or been in contact with those positive Covid-19 cases.
“As of March 9, a total of 574 samples have been tested, and so far no samples have been detected positive for Covid-19.
“Based on current information, no Covid-19 sporadic cases have been detected through this surveillance activity,” he said.