PUTRAJAYA, May 29 – A total of 98 deaths from the Coronavirus was reported today by the Health Ministry bringing the total number of deaths to 2,650 in the country.
It was a record number of infections as well at 9,020, bringing total infections to 558,534.
In its daily update today, the ministry also spoke of a worrying trend in the number of clusters brought on by cross-state travels prior to the reinforcement of the Movement Control Order on May 10 this year. It said during the Hari Raya period alone, from May 13-28, 26 clusters were reported.
From Dec 7, 2020, as many as 51 clusters due to cross-district and interstate travel were reported. These consisted of 6,468 cases, according to reports from the ministry’s National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC).
Cross-state clusters included those caused by index cases returning for Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, returning visiting families, attending weddings, birthday parties, burial parties or courses in other states as well as carrying out independent lecture activities across the state.
From April 1 to May 28, 2021 cross-state clusters consisting of 1,420 cases were reported. Of that amount, the states reporting the highest clusters were Melaka with eight (8 clusters (40 percent), Terengganu with three (3) clusters and Kelantan, Perak and Pahang with two each.
From the Hari Raya cluster, as many as 4,047 individuals were filtered and 1,019 cases identified positively in these clusters, which is a 25.1 percent positivity rate.
Out of the total of 1,019 cases, two (2) deaths have been reported to date.
States that recorded the highest number of sub-clusters of festivities were Sabah with seven and Kelantan five.
The ministry said although the government had banned Eid pilgrimages and festivals, many did not follow suit and this caused the trigger in new COVID-19 clusters.
People were reminded that cross-district and state ban is still in effect. Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on Friday announced a total lockdown for the country effective June 1 to June 14 to counter the rise in COVID-19 cases.
–WE