KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A total of 106 new cases recorded as at noon Tuesday bringing the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia to 1,624 individuals with 15 fatalities after one more death reported.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said based on the initial investigation, 43 of the new cases were linked to the Seri Petaling tabligh convention cluster.
“The remaining 63 are related to other clusters and are still under investigation for confirmation,” he said in a statement.
He said 64 COVID-19 positive patients were currently under treatment at the intensive care unit with 27 needing respiratory aid.
Meanwhile, he said the ministry was planning to convert training centres or hostels into temporary wards to treat affected patients.
The move would provide an additional of 3,000 beds for COVID-19 cases, he said.
Dr Noor Hisham added that the ministry would also mobilise health personnel from other states to hospitals designated for COVID-19 cases.
“We can’t build a hospital in 10 days, (thus) by doing so, we hope we can provide the best treatment to COVID-19 patients,” he said.
In a related development, Dr Noor Hisham said all health personnel infected with the disease did not contract the virus while working in isolation wards.
Instead, they got infected from the crowd and patients who came to health facilities and did not disclose their history, he said.
“None of the medical personnel got infected working in Covid-19 ward, the isolation ward is the safest place.
“We take all the precautions and they are protected from the virus,” he added.
To date, a total of 19 MOH personnel and five from private health facilities have been infected with COVID-19.