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PUTRAJAYA: Fifty more Covid-19 cases linked to the Benteng Lahad Datu (LD) group in Sabah were detected within 24 hours and all new patients are prisoners, says Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The Health Director-General said the discovery of new cases followed the ministry’s active case-detection work in the Lahad Datu and Tawau districts, where 1,404 people have been screened for Covid-19.
“Under this group, the ministry has examined 631 inmates, 98 prison employees, 157 family members of staff and inmates, 78 police officers and 440 government agents,” Dr. Noor Hisham said in a statement on Monday (7 May September).
The group originated from two undocumented immigrants who were being held at the Lahad Datu police headquarters.
The two citizens of the Philippines were tested for Covid-19 and their results on August 31 showed that they tested positive for the virus.
The close contact examination found another five positive cases among those detained in the dungeon.
The group was later found to have spread to Tawau Prison, some 150km away, after several inmates with a travel history to Lahad Datu Police Headquarters also tested positive for Covid-19.
So far, the group has 66 confirmed cases, 50 of them detected in Lahad Datu and 16 in Tawau.
The only cases not found among the prisoners are a 45-year-old prison official in Tawau and his one-year-old nephew.
Dr Noor Hisham said that the narrow and congested space in the dungeons contributed to the spread of Covid-19 in this group.
“Physical distancing is found to be difficult to practice. This is the main cause of Covid-19 transmission among detainees. Therefore, it is important that standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed at all times, regardless of location, ”he said.
The 50 cases of the Benteng Lahad Datu group are part of the 62 new cases of Covid-19 in the country on Monday (September 7).
This is the highest peak of cases on a single day during the recovery motion control order period.
The last time Malaysia registered more cases was on June 4 with 277 cases, mainly related to the immigrant detention depot groups.
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