KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 — The Covid-19 infection cases in the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market is linked to the cluster involving the Sri Petaling tabligh event, the Ministry of Health (MOH) director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has confirmed today.
In his daily press briefing today, there is also one death from the said market cluster.
“There is one death in this cluster, that is Case #5,252.
“The Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market cluster was found to be linked to the Sri Petaling congregation cluster, whereby the index case (Case #3,039) for this cluster was one of the participants of the gathering.
“Up until May 5, 2020 at noon, a total of 180 Covid-19 positive cases involving the said cluster have been reported, of which 100 are within the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) area and 80 cases have been detected outside the EMCO area. This total includes traders and non-traders such as family members of traders, visitors and those with close contact with this cluster,” Dr Noor Hisham said.
He added that of the 80 cases detected outside of the KL Wholesale Market (also known as the Selayang wholesale market) which was placed under the EMCO, 29 cases were identified via screenings in four wet markets.
They were: Pasar Besar Seremban and Pasar Besar Bahau in Negri Sembilan, and Pasar Besar Jalan Othman and Pasar Taman Megah in Petaling Jaya.
In Pasar Besar Seremban, 75 people were screened, with three later testing positive for the virus, while one awaiting result. In Pasar Besar Bahau meanwhile, 182 were screened, with two testing positive, with two more awaiting their test results.
The biggest number of infection cases of the four localities, came from Pasar Besar Jalan Othman, with 23 of the 545 screened, testing positive, with no pending results. In Pasar Taman Megah, 142 were screened with only one positive case recorded by far, and none with pending test results.
Dr Noor Hisham also announced several regulations which have been put in place, to contain the situation at the wholesale market, which among others, requires traders or wholesalers who wish to trade or enter the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market premises to be tested and submit their Covid-19 test result.
“MOH, with the help of relevant agencies has identified a number of daily markets which are linked or have a number of traders dealing in the Kuala Lumpur Wholesale Market (PBKL). The district health office has been briefed to conduct a risk assessment of Covid-19 infection against traders who have come to these markets,” he said, adding that MOH also conduct symptom screening on traders and conducts the real-time polymerase chain reaction (rpt-PCR) test on those which respiratory tract infection.
Dr Noor Hisham also reminded those who do not have symptoms and did not have their samples taken should monitor their health using the Home Assessment Tool and immediately notify the nearest district health office if they have any symptoms.
