Covid-19 Patient Only Admitted Link To Sivagangga Cluster After Going For Raya Festivities

The Sivagangga cluster that started from a Kedah Nasi Kandar restaurant owner violating his 14-day quarantine has led to a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases recorded in the area. Yesterday (29 July), the Ministry of Health announced that a Malaysian who tested positive for the virus from the Sivagangga cluster involved himself in Hari Raya Aidiladha’s festive activities before revealing that he was a customer in the eatery.

The patient went to a private clinic on 27 July to get tested but a rapid test kit (RTK) antibody test was used. Unlike a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, the rapid test kit is unable to detect Covid-19 while it is still in the early stages of infection. Hence, the patient tested negative.

“However, the patient began to experience symptoms of fever and cough on 3 July but did not contact any district health clinic or office for treatment. A day later, the patient who had already involved himself in Hari Raya Aidiladha activities informed that he was in close contact with the index case. Following this discovery, the patient was then screened using an RT-PCR test and tested positive for the virus,” said Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah in a statement posted on the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Facebook.

Currently, the patient is being treated in Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah. As of right now, there are 21 positive cases recorded under the Sivagangga cluster. Four areas in Kedah have been put under EMCO to contain the spread of the virus.

The Health Director-General said that the government had to impose the EMCO within the radius of the restaurant and nearby locations as the restaurant did not use any form of contact tracing, such as recording details of customers or temperature taking through MySejahtera.

“Learning from this case, MOH wants to remind citizens to not keep any important information such as possible contact with positive cases of Covid-19 from authorities. The public has to come forward if they pose a high risk of infection or have been in contact with people who contracted the virus. It is the social responsibility of all citizens to curb the spread of Covid-19.”

We have to work together in order to stop the spread of this virus. 

Also read: 19 People Infected in Sivagangga Cluster After Shop Owner Violated Quarantine Order