Infections soar to 432 as Cabinet told to stay home

A total of 432 new Covid-19 cases were reported today, the highest yet as infections continue to spike across the country.

Of these, 429 were local transmissions involving 409 citizens and 20 foreigners.

The remaining imported cases involved two citizens and one foreigner.

No new deaths were reported, leaving the virus toll unchanged at 137 or 1.07% of total cases, which now stand at 12,813.

Fifty-seven patients were also discharged today, bringing total recoveries to 10,340 or 80.7%.

A total of 2,336 cases remain active, 32 of whom are being treated in the ICU with eight in need of respiratory assistance.

In terms of distribution of local cases, Kedah overtook Sabah with 241 cases against 130.

Selangor meanwhile recorded 34 cases, followed by Terengganu (five), Kuala Lumpur (five), Labuan (four), Perak (two), Putrajaya (two), Johor (two), Negeri Sembilan (one), Kelantan (one), Melaka (one) and Pahang (one).

The three imported cases were recorded in Kuala Lumpur (two) and Sarawak (one).

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that members of the Cabinet who had attended a special meeting on Covid-19 chaired by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin on Oct 3 would be tested and put under quarantine following news that a minister had tested positive for the virus today.

He said the minister had not experienced any symptoms.

Muhyiddin meanwhile said in a statement that religious affairs minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri had tested positive for the virus and is receiving treatment at a hospital in Seremban.