47 Medical Staff Test Positive For Covid-19 After Attending Weddings With Tabligh Participants

It has been revealed by Ministry of Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday (25th March 2020) that over 73 members of medical staff have tested positive for Covid-19, according to reports from Malaysiakini and New Straits Times.

Out of the 73 members who tested positive, 47 members traced their infections back to a wedding reception they attended that included several members of the tabligh gathering in Sri Petaling.

“Health workers and frontliners are urged to inform their respective department heads if they have had close contact with any of the participants who attended the (tabligh) gathering in Sri Petaling or a wedding in Bangi on March 6 or a wedding in Putrajaya on March 7,” he said.

The remainder of those who have been infected are said to have had a history of travelling overseas, or have also had close contact with infected Covid-19 patients who weren’t from the tabligh gathering.

According to the Director-General, the wedding reception was held for a doctor and a nurse, which led to many medical staff being invited to attend. “Only after they returned was it detected that many were positive for Covid-19 in Kota Bharu, Teluk Intan, and such,” he said.

Due to this sudden surge in medical staff testing positive, the Ministry of Health has had to re-delegate healthcare staff from other departments and hospitals to cover the shortage of manpower at the affected hospitals, which include primarily Teluk Intan Hospital, Putrajaya Hospital, Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, and Selayang Hospital.

We hope that these frontline heroes will be able to recover soon, and we thank them for their service in keeping the community safe during this time.