PENANG recorded 1,867 new Covid-19 cases today.
It was the highest ever recorded in the state since the start of the pandemic last year.
Penang Health Department director Datuk Dr Asmayani Khalib said Penang is currently using the Rapid Test Kits (RTK-Ag) Covid-19 positive results as confirmed cases.
“We can obtain faster results using RTK-Ag as compared to the results obtained via the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR test). With that, we can provide the patients with the quarantine wristbands and isolate them faster.
“However, with this approach, the number of Covid-19 cases in Penang will be higher than before. For example, from the 1,867 cases in Penang today, a total of 1,257 cases was actually the RTK-Ag Covid-19 positive cases,” she said after visiting the Caring Society Complex today.
Also present were Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Penang Agrotech and Food Security, Rural Development and Health Committee chairman Dr Norlela Ariffin.
Dr Asmayani said the Penang Health Department had approached the Health Ministry two weeks ago for the state to use the method of treating the RTK-Ag Covid-19 positive results as confirmed cases.
“The Health Ministry has agreed to the request,” she said.
She added that most Covid-19 cases in Penang were from the factory cluster, those detected through symptomatic screening, and sporadic cases.
“Sporadic cases are those cases not related to any cluster,” she said.
Dr Asmayani appealed to the public to observe the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to help the frontliners fight the pandemic.
“Please follow the SOPs and help us to win this war against Covid-19,” she said.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad
Video by Muhamad Amir Irsyad Omar