PETALING JAYA: Four new clusters of Covid-19 have been identified in the country, says Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The first cluster, the “Pitakwa cluster”, started with a Malaysian returning from Nigeria on July 11, he said.

“The individual tested negative during a Covid-19 screening at KLIA.

“But three days after entering Malaysia, the individual needed to undergo another test as the person started having more severe symptoms and was found to be positive.

“The individual was then admitted to the Hulu Terengganu Hospital,” he said in a statement Friday (July 17).

He added that 44 close contacts of the individual had been identified and screened, including the cabin crew of the flight the individual was in and fellow passengers.

Out of this, two have tested positive and three negative, while 39 were still waiting for their results, he said.

The second cluster, named the “Shirala cluster”, involved a non-Malaysian professional who entered the country on July 6 for work reasons and was found to be negative during the screening at KLIA, he said.

“Five days after entering Malaysia on July 11, the individual had to undergo another Covid-19 screening after showing symptoms.

“The individual was found to be positive and was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital,” he said.

He added that two close contacts of the patient had been identified, with one testing negative and the other positive.

Dr Noor Hisham said the third cluster, the “Kuching Medical Centre cluster”, involved a frontliner who went for screening, but was asymptomatic.

The individual tested positive on July 14 and was admitted to Sarawak General Hospital, he added.

He said 26 close contacts of the individual had been identified and screened, and one was found to be Covid-19 positive.

The fourth cluster, named the “Jupiter cluster”, involved a non-Malaysian crew of a vessel that has been in Japan and Singapore, he said.

The individual started having symptoms on July 3 and the symptoms became more severe on July 11 while the vessel was in Sarawak waters, he said.

He added that the individual was then screened at a medical centre in Sarawak and found to be positive, and was admitted to Sarawak General Hospital.

He said 29 close contacts of the individual, consisting of the vessel’s other crew members, had been identified and screened, with two found to be positive of Covid-19.

“This cluster is an imported and isolated cluster.

“The community (in Sarawak) is not exposed to the vessel’s crew members but this is a case that needed treatment and was brought to the hospital,” he added.