Malaysia reports 172 new COVID-19 cases, mostly illegal immigrants in detention centres

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reported 172 new COVID-19 cases on Monday (May 25), most of them illegal immigrants at detention centres.

Five of the new patients are imported cases, while 167 are local transmissions, said director-general of health Noor Hisham Abdullah at the daily media briefing.

“(Of the local transmissions) 159 cases are foreigners, including 112 cases detected at three Immigration Detention Depots, and only eight are Malaysians,” he told reporters.

This brings the total number of infections in Malaysia to 7,417. 

Dozens of immigration detainees have contracted the coronavirus in recent days, prompting authorities to launch a mass testing programme in such facilities.

Dr Noor Hisham assured the public that the situation at the three detention centres - in Sepang, Bukit Jalil and Semenyih - is under control.

“Various preventive and control activities have already been carried out, for example disinfection, health education like personal hygiene, washing hands with water and soap regularly as well as emphasising on social distancing," he said.

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No fatalities were reported on Monday. The death toll stands at 115, or 1.61 per cent of the total number of positive cases, said Dr Noor Hisham.

Another 34 patients have recovered were discharged, raising the cumulative figure for recoveries to 5,979, or 80.6 per cent of the total number of positive cases.

Eight patients are in the intensive care unit, with four requiring ventilator support.

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