When the Health Ministry pleaded with everyone to be truthful, there's a good reason for it.
Unfortunately, not all Malaysians took it to heart, and as a result, a lot of other Malaysians paid the price.
One lie resulted in a new cluster
On Sunday (5 April), the Health Ministry revealed that one person (case 1580) in Kuching who returned from Italy created a COVID-19 cluster in the state.
The cluster is at its third generation now with 37 cases, including one in Intensive Care Unit and five deaths.
Sadly, a report by The Malaysian Insight indicated that at least some of the deaths, as well as infections, involved the same extended family.
Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) mengesan kluster baharu wabak COVID-19 di Sarawak, yang berpunca daripada rakyat Malaysia yang melancong ke Itali.#DudukRumah dan pastikan kita #KekalTenang untuk #HapusCOVID19 pic.twitter.com/VVaH3hMWCh
— ??Astro AWANI?? (@501Awani) April 5, 2020
Be truthful if you've been exposed to COVID 19
Speaking at Health Ministry's daily press conference on the updates on COVID 19, its director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that the case shows the importance of disclosure of close contact with COVID 19 patients, travel history or attendance at an event the ministry has announced as risky.
He added that as of 12pm on 5 April, 180 countries are affected by COVID-19.
"Therefore, there is certainly a risk for imported Covid-19 cases from abroad into the country, resulting in a domestic spread," he said during the press conference.
1. Mempunyai kontak rapat dgn kes positif COVID-19.
— KKMPutrajaya (@KKMPutrajaya) April 5, 2020
2. Sejarah perjalanan ke luar negara atau
3. Kehadiran ke perhimpunan yang telah diumumkan KKM sebagai berkait rapat dgn penularan jangkitan COVID-19 di Malaysia. - Ketua Pengarah Kesihatan @DGHisham
During the press conference, Dr Noor Hisham also said that one of the victims did go to the hospital for a COVID-19 test, which came out as negative, despite having been infected with the virus.
"When the result was negative we discharge the patient. When the patient went back home, the family was infected. This is where we can see how one case can spread to 37 people and this caused deaths.
"So, it is important for us to give information to the ministry or healthcare workers dealing with the patients," he said..gif)
It is scary to think that mistakes that could lead to death could happen, but we cannot dispute that our frontlines have been doing a fantastic job so far.
Let's all be extra careful and follow whatever advice the experts are giving. Hopefully, a vaccine will be found for COVID-19 soon.