PUTRAJAYA: Two of the 107 Malaysians and non-Malaysian spouses and children airlifted out of coronavirus-hit Wuhan in China yesterday have tested positive for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
This brings cumulative cases of the coronavirus in Malaysia to 12.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad said the two new cases involved a 45-year-old man and his son, aged nine, and that they were now at an isolation ward at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban.
“Both of them did not show any symptoms on arrival but were confirmed positive for the coronavirus at the Higher Education Leadership Academy (AKEPT) in Bandar Enstek, Nilai di Negeri Sembilan,” he told the daily press conference to update on the 2019-nCoV situation in Malaysia, here today.
Both the father and son are Malaysians.
AKEPT is the quarantine centre for the evacuees from Wuhan. They will be quarantined there for 14 days.
Dzulkefly said the man returned on the airlift mission along with his wife and daughter but only the father and son tested positive for the coronavirus.
He explained that they tested positive via throat swabs.
He pointed out that of the 12 positive cases in Malaysia now, nine involved China nationals and the rest Malaysians.
As for the two other Malaysian evacuees from Wuhan who were sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital after failing screening at the KL International Airport, the minister said both tested negative for the coronavirus.
The evacuation of the 88 Malaysians and 19 non-Malaysian next-of-kin was completed in just over 14 hours, with a special AirAsia aircraft departing KL International Airport 2 (klia2) at 3.50 pm on Monday and returning to KLIA with the evacuees by 6 am yesterday. – BERNAMA
