KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia on Tuesday (Nov 24) reported a record 2,188 new COVID-19 cases, with the state of Selangor accounting for the majority of the infections.
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This is the first time Malaysia has registered more than 2,000 daily infections, taking the cumulative total to 58,847.
A total of 14,353 of these cases are classified as active and contagious, the health ministry said in a press release.
The spike comes just one day after the country reported 1,884 new cases – Malaysia’s previous record for the highest daily number of new infections.
There were also four new fatalities – three in Sabah and one in Penang – bringing the national death toll to 341.
There are currently 112 patients in the intensive care unit, of which 49 require respiratory support.
All of the new cases are locally transmitted infections, with 1,623 in Selangor accounting for 74.2 per cent of all the new cases, said health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah.
“A large portion of the cases reported in Selangor are from the Teratai cluster with an increase of 1,511 cases (93.1 per cent). As previously reported, medical and public health teams have been deployed to affected locations to help with prevention and monitoring activities as well as large-scale testing,” said Dr Noor Hisham.
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The Teratai cluster, which is linked to rubber glove manufacturer Top Glove’s factories, is in Klang, Selangor.
A further 107 cases were linked to four prison clusters, he added.
Dr Noor Hisham attributed the recent increase in cases amid the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic to workplace clusters in the Klang Valley.
He also called on employers to ensure that all work processes and employees adhere to the prescribed standard operating procedures.
For industries that reply on foreign workers, Dr Noor Hisham said employers must provide conducive accommodation and ensure that all staff members follow COVID-19 safe management measures at all times.
As of Tuesday, Malaysia has reported 334 COVID-19 clusters, of which 167 are currently active.
-CNA