Benteng Lahad Datu cluster increases again with 62 new cases



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PUTRAJAYA: The Benteng Lahad Datu (LD) group in Sabah continues to see an increase in Covid-19 cases on Tuesday (September 8), with 62 new confirmed cases.

These cases made up the majority of the 100 new cases reported in Malaysia, and the Benteng LD group is now the largest active group in the country with 128 cases in the Tawau and Lahad Datu districts.

Health Director General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah said the 62 new cases were all inmates and detainees.

“Of the 62, 37 are from the dungeon at Lahad Datu Police Headquarters, while 25 are from Tawau Prison.

“The Health Ministry has so far tested 431 people in the Lahad Datu jail, of whom 87 have tested positive so far. Another 132 tested negative and there are still 212 people who have not yet obtained the results.

“In Tawau, we have tested 1,579 people and 41 have tested positive so far. Another 425 tested negative, while about 1,113 are still awaiting their results, ”Dr. Noor Hisham said at the ministry’s Covid-19 press conference.

In total, 65 people in the group are foreigners and 53 Malays.

Despite the sudden increase in cases reported by the group, Dr. Noor Hisham said the cases were “under control” as the broadcasts did not spread to the community.

“As of now, the cases are held in the Lahad Datu Police Headquarters cell and Tawau Prison.

“The cases are under control since they are not in the community.

“This is similar to when we had hundreds of cases at the Bukit Jalil Immigraiton (DTI) detention facility. The cases were controlled and not in the community, ”said Dr. Noor Hisham.

Benteng’s LD group was first detected on September 1 after authorities captured two illegal immigrants from the Philippines as part of the “Ops Benteng” mission, a joint operation of the police, the Armed Forces and other agencies. to catch undocumented foreigners.

The first cases were found after a Covid-19 review conducted on detainees at the Lahad Datu police headquarters.

The cases spread to Tawau Prison, some 150 kilometers away, after some of the detainees who had a history of travel to Lahad Datu infected other inmates there.

Meanwhile, Dr. Noor Hisham announced that the ministry stated that Bukit Jalil’s ITD group had ended after no new cases were recorded for an extended period.

In total, the group had 653 confirmed cases involving mainly detainees and some members of the detention center staff.

One person, an Indian citizen, had died under the group.



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