Malaysia fears new COVID-19 cluster

JAKARTA, Indonesia

A new cluster of novel coronavirus cases is feared to have emerged in a Malaysian town after a football referee tested positive for the disease, local media reported Monday.

According to The Star, health official G. Navindran said those who were involved in a football competition at the Tawau Prison field and Tawau Municipal Council stadium recently, including spectators, should immediately get tested for COVID-19.

He said about 100 people turned up for the COVID-19 test at the Tawau health clinic in the city of Sabah state on Sunday after being instructed to do so.

On Saturday, the Tawau health office issued a notice requesting all players, spectators and others at the event on Aug. 28-29, as well as Sept. 2 at the Tawau Prison field and on Aug. 30-31 at another local stadium to take a COVID-19 test, the report said.

It added that the call was made after one of the referees, who is also a prison officer, was found to have been infected for the coronavirus.

Malaysia confirmed six new coronavirus cases on Sunday, three imported and three local infections, bringing the total to 9,397. The report quoted Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, the nation's health director-general, as saying.

So far, health authorities have confirmed 9,115 recoveries from the virus, while fatalities stand at 128.