KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 13 Covid-19 interstate travel clusters have been detected nationwide since last month.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said from the total coronavirus clusters linked to interstate travel, six which were detected in Melaka, Kelantan and Perak, originated from Selangor.
He said three of the clusters related to interstate travel that emerged in Kelantan, Pahang and Melaka had originated from Kuala Lumpur.
“The Covid-19 cluster that is related to interstate travel which originated from Kuala Lumpur included the Kampung Bunut Sarang Burung cluster, which was detected in Kelantan.
“This cluster (Kampung Bunut Sarang Burung) cases comprise the South African Covid-19 variant (B.1.351) in Malaysia,” Dr Adham said during the weekly press conference by the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force here today.
Present was Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who is the Coordinating Minister of the Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP).
Other Covid-19 clusters involving interstate travel, he said, included the Kabu Cluster in Kedah that originated from Penang; Jalan Gapam Cluster in Negri Sembilan (from Melaka), Taman Rakyat Cluster in Terengganu (from Sabah) and Jalan Kesidang Cluster in Melaka ( from Perak).
For Covid-19 sub-clusters that are linked to the community, Dr Adham said, it emerged due to transmission from close contacts or contacts among family members.
“Based on the cases detected, there are clusters taking place (emerging from) funeral, engagement, wedding, festive ceremonies as well as those related to floods.
“There are also clusters that resulted from activities conducted at longhouses in Sarawak such as gotong-royong, funeral and community activities,” he said.
The emergence of these clusters, he said, was the reason why the government continued to enforce interstate travel restriction.
“As such all interstate travel activities will remain until May 17 or until a new date is announced,” he said.-NST