Category: Medical

PASIR MAS, Nov 13 (Bernama) — A flood victim at the Sri Kiambang temporary relief centre here tested positive for COVID-19 after undergoing a screening test.

 

The man, in his 30s, has now been isolated in a separate room from the rest of the evacuees.

 

Kelantan health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said the man was the first flood evacuee to test positive for COVID-19 in the state.

 

 

 

He said all of his close contacts will be screened and placed in isolation as well.

 

Dr Zaini also advised flood evacuees who show symptoms of COVID-19 to immediately report the matter to relief centre workers.

 

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 (Bernama) — A total of 26,616 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in the 44th Epidemiological Week (ME 44/2022) from Oct 30 to Nov 5, an increase of  57.3 per cent over the  16,917 cases in the previous week, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

 

He said local COVID-19 cases rose by 57.4 per cent to 26,577 cases from 16,890 cases in ME43.

 

“Imported cases too increased by 44.4 per cent from 27 cases to 39 cases.

 

 

 

“The number of deaths in ME 44 increased by 45 per cent, from 20 to 29 cases,” he said in a statement today.

 

He said the average number of daily active cases in ME 44 was 33,449 compared to 28,252 cases, an 18.4 per cent increase from the previous week.

 

Dr Noor Hisham said between Jan 25, 2020 and Nov 5, 2022, cumulatively, 4,923,538 new cases and 4,850,491 recoveries were recorded.

 

 

 

The fatalities recorded during this period totalled 36,493 and there were 7,104 clusters with 21 clusters still active.

 

The admission of COVID-19 patients  to hospitals and  Low-Risk COVID-19 Treatment Centres per 100,000 population saw an overall increase by 26.1 per cent.

 

He said admissions for categories one and two, which are asymptomatic and symptomatic increased by 39.4 per cent while those for categories three, four and five were up 37.4 per cent.

 

Following the increase in COVID-19 cases as well as hospital admissions and reports of Omicron XBB subvariant cases in several states, Dr Noor Hisham advised the public to take preventive measures by wearing a face mask and getting the COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

KUCHING, Nov 3 (Bernama) — Two Omicron XBB sub-variant of COVID-19 cases had been detected involving a traveller holding an United States passport and an individual who had just returned from performing the umrah.

 

Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said he was informed of the discovery by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) Director, Prof Dr David Perera today.

 

“They were detected from samples of positive cases collected early last month. The institute is sequencing another batch of samples collected in the same month and is likely to detect more cases,” he said in the statement here.

 

 

 

He said based on Dr Perera’s report, it is likely that the XBB had spread in the state since early October.

 

“The institute has been tracking the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the state as part of a national surveillance programme,” Uggah added.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) — Low income and economic issues are the main factors for Selangor being ranked lowest in the Malaysian Happiness Index (MHI) 2021.

 

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said this was based on a report by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) which recorded a happiness index of 5.74 per cent in Selangor compared to the national index of 6.48 per cent.

 

“The highest index was recorded in Labuan which was 9.29 per cent, followed by Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Terengganu and Selangor ranked the lowest — ‘lowest’ according to the components means income and economy.

 

 

 

“That is why today, we bring the KASIH@SMILE programme to the community of ​​Putra Perdana in Puchong for exposure to entrepreneurs in the target group of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM).

 

“This is in addition to other support such as the Wanita Bangkit programme that offers job opportunities,” she said when speaking at the opening ceremony of the KASIH@SMILE at Putra Perdana community hall in Puchong near here today.

 

Rina said the effort to defend the integrity of the family institution and maintain its well-being is a joint responsibility of all parties like government agencies, the private sector, non-governmental organisations and the individual.

 

 

 

At the event, Rina also donated 1,000 helmets to needy children in the community.

 

The KASIH@SMILE programme is held in conjunction with Keluarga Malaysia Month which is celebrated in November.

 

Activities include talks featuring personalities and family experts, exhibitions and services under KPWKM, e-sports programmes and indoor sports as well as Maulid Akhbar spiritual programmes to be conducted by popular nasyid groups.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

GEORGE TOWN,  Nov 1 (Bernama) — Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow is confirmed positive for COVID-19 today and will be resting for a few days, said the Chief Minister’s Special Investment Adviser Datuk Seri Lee Kah Choon.

 

He said Chow would need to rest a few days before performing his duties as usual.

 

“For now he will comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) …it’s just a normal COVID-19, son there’s nothing to be unduly worried about,” he told Bernama after the opening of a new supply chain distribution hub, NI Malaysia Sdn Bhd, here.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Chow, in a post on his official Facebook, stated that he did a self-screening test for COVID-19 this morning and the result was positive.

 

Last Sunday, Chow, who is Penang DAP chairman,  was announced as the DAP candidate for the Batu Kawan parliament seat to replace the incumbent MP, Kasthuriraani Patto, who has announced that she will not contest in GE15.

 

The Election Commission (EC) has set Nov19 as polling day for GE15, while nomination is on Nov 5 and early voting is on Nov15.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

TENOM, Nov 1 (Bernama) — A landslide believed to be caused by heavy rain occurred near the Tenom Pangi Dam here this morning, trapping six men for several hours and damaging some properties.

 

Tenom Fire and Rescue Station chief Mohd Zainal Sinsian the department dispatched seven firemen and two fire engines to the scene after receiving a report at 8.30 am.

 

He said the firefighters arrived to find the group of men, aged 29 to 42, in safe condition.

 

 

 

“We received a report that six men were trapped in the power house area, about 5 km from the main fence of the building. The firemen went in on foot and found the victims safe.

 

“No casualties were reported. The building’s main fence was buried and several vehicles and motorcycles were damaged in the landslide,” he said here.

 

He said the rescuers inspected the area to ensure the situation was safe before calling off the operation at 9.30am.

 

 

 

“We also advised workers and the public not to enter the landslide location,” he said.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 31 (Bernama) — Malaysia is currently experiencing a small wave of COVID-19 cases following the discovery of the Omicron XBB sub-variant in the country, said Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin.

 

He said that based on daily data, the number of new COVID-19 cases has increased by 16.5 per cent, from 14,525 cases in Epidemiological Week (EW) 42 to 16,917 cases in EW 43 (Oct 23 to 29).

 

Khairy said the number of admissions of COVID-19 patients to health facilities (public hospitals) per 100,00 population also showed an increase of 14.3 per cent in EW 43 compared with EW 42.

 

 

 

“We suspect that the XBB sub-variant is behind this upward trend which is also the cause of the wave in Singapore which has taken three to four weeks to decrease.

 

“Perhaps, we are also facing an XBB variant infection with four cases detected as of Oct 27,” he said at a press conference here today.

 

On four cases of the XBB sub-variant, Khairy said that they involved three men and one woman, aged 25 to 51, from Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

 

 

 

He said all four cases were detected positive for COVID-19 through genome sequencing surveillance, with all of them in category two where they experienced mild symptoms of fever, cough, sore throat and flu.

 

He added that out of the four cases, only one case was reinfection, and all of them had been isolated for seven days, while all close contacts had also been identified.

 

Thus, Khairy reminded the public to always be vigilant and extra careful, especially with the situation where the country will enter the campaign period of the 15th General Election (GE15), with many events will be attended by the local community.

 

 

“Given the increase in cases of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health (MOH) made a decision to remind the public that we are still in the transition phase to endemic, and that waves of infection will come and go.

 

“Unfortunately, the timing of the current increase in cases coincides with GE15, which is why the MOH is advising the public, especially the use of face masks. It is not mandatory, but now it is highly recommended, especially in crowded closed areas and for high-risk individuals,” he said.

 

In addition, Khairy also encouraged front-line staff, including Election Commission (EC) employees who will be on duty during GE15, to take the second booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

In the meantime, Khairy said that Malaysia has ordered a new type of vaccine, Bivalent from Pfizer, which will arrive in November.

 

“There is no additional procurement, this is existing procurement; we have changed our order from the old vaccine to the new vaccine, which will arrive in November,” he said.

 

Meanwhile, in a separate event, Khairy presented Malaysia’s contribution, in the form of medical aid worth RM288,610, to Sri Lanka, represented by Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia, Air Chief Marshal Sumangala Dias.

 

 

Source: BERNAMA News Agency