JOHOR BARU, March 24 — The Johor Health Department has denied that the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar has been shut down and put under quarantine due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

This follows news of a viral WhatsApp male voice recording alleging that the hospital in northern Johor was out of bounds after two doctors and a nurse contracted the infection.

When contacted via text message, Johor Health Department director Dr Aman Rabu denied that the hospital is under quarantine and dismissed the rumours as false.

It was learnt that the recording went viral after Covid-19 claimed the life of a 71-year-old man from Melaka, the 15th death from the virus in the country.

He had died while being treated at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital in Muar.

Earlier, Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the man had come into contact with another Covid-19 positive person who had attended the tabligh ijtimak event, held at the Jamek Sri Petaling mosque in Kuala Lumpur last month.

He was admitted to the hospital on March 18 and died in the early hours of this morning.

The government and police have continued to warn Malaysians not to share or believe fake news, especially those found on social media and WhatsApp applications.

Earlier today, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said five more individuals have been investigated by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the police for spreading fake news on Covid-19.

He said the five are an addition to the six individuals who have already been charged.