Birthday Party Causes New Cluster In Johor, 28 People Infected

MCO, for many of us, meant staying inside, wearing masks if we went out and adhering to the SOPs. For some others, MCO was not a deterrent for daily activities; for example, throwing a birthday party.

A birthday party at an entertainment venue resulted in a new cluster when a Vietnamese woman tested positive for Covid-19. Currently, the number of people infected is 28, and this includes toddlers and senior citizens.

The birthday party took place on 28th February, at an entertainment venue in the Campbell Gardens, Batu Pahat. According to the Ministry of Health, patient zero of the “Jalan Setia Jaya Cluster” is a 29-year-old Vietnamese woman. She developed symptoms on 3rd March, three days after the party and was diagnosed on 8th March. Two others were tested positive on 7th March and on Tuesday (9th march), 11 locals and 14 non-citizens were also diagnosed with Covid-19. As of Tuesday, 56 people have been tested by the authorities and a total of 28 have tested positive.

DAP Batu Pahat District Councilor Gan Peck Cheng has taken measures to report the group to the police. She hopes they will investigate the matter and take further action. According to her, the group inadvertently infected children and the elderly. She also stressed that the county office and the Batu Pahat City Council should strengthen the law enforcement to deter further violations of the control order. “At present, the epidemic has not subsided,” she stated. “Although the authorities have deregulated, the people still (need to) have self-discipline and avoid attending birthday parties that involve gatherings and (are) difficult to (social distance).”

According to China Press, the virus spread by the group has caused the distribution of 30 new cases among the Batu Pahat residential area. This was apparently evident by the case distribution map. Simpang Kanan reported 26 new cases while Segenting and Linau reported 2 each. A case analysis table provided by the Batu Pahat Health Bureau showed majority of the people infected were 21 to 49 years old, 4 people were 12 to 20 years old with one person over 50.

Batu Pahat District Police Chief Ismail Bin Dollah stated that the police are currently investigating a video which may be related to the matter. The video, circulated on the Internet, showed a group of people holding a birthday party at what looks like an entertainment venue. The table was laden with food like roast pork. The group was not seen wearing masks. Some netizens claim that the video is from the party that sparked the “Jalan Setia Jaya Cluster” infections.

“The police will investigate whether this video is an old video or a video recently taken during the movement control order.” District Police Chief Ismail said. “If the violation is confirmed, the police will issue a fine to the offender.” As of now, the police have not received relevant reports, but promise to look into the videos thoroughly.

Source: China Press, Free Malaysia Today