1 Utama Disputes COVID-19 Cases, Claims Just 21+1

Spread the love

1 Utama Shopping Centre disputes JPBD Petaling claim that they had 68 cases of COVID-19, insisting that only 21+1 confirmed COVID-19 can be attributed to their mall.

JPBD Petaling later reported the actual number to be 105 cases! Find out what happened!

 

JPBD Petaling : 1 Utama Cluster Had 68 Cases, Now 105 Cases

Yesterday, JPBD (Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Daerah) Petaling – the Petaling District Disaster Management Committee – issued a statement, claiming that the 1 Utama Shopping Centre Cluster had 63 cases.

1 Utama : 21 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, NOT 63!

Out of 6,000 employees inside 1 Utama that were screened, 16 employees tested positive, and screening also detected 44 cases amongst security personnel.

Finally, 110 shoppers were also screened, of which 3 had positive results :

  1. Complex Management Employee : 1 case
  2. Complex Employees : 15 cases
  3. Security Personnel : 44 cases
  4. Shoppers : 3 cases

Today, they updated the list, claiming that the 1 Utama Cluster now has 105 cases :

  1. Security Guards : 79 cases
  2. Cleaners : 18 cases
  3. Tenants : 8 cases
    – Teh Tarik Place : 6 cases
    – Daiso : 1 case
    – C&C Cookies : 1 case

With the exception of the Daiso employee, all cases involved foreign workers.

The list does not include Mac City and Parkson Elite whose cases sparked the 1 Utama screening program. That means a total of 5 outlets are affected so far.

 

1 Utama Claims Only 22 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

The 1 Utama Shopping Centre Management refuted the JPBD Petaling statement today, claiming that only 22 cases can be attributed to their mall.

They stressed that 20 tenant employees and 1 mall management staff tested positive for COVID-19. These 21 persons have been swiftly quarantined by MOH (Ministry of Health).

The discrepancy?

1 Utama claimed that the 44 security guards who tested positive for COVID-19 were not part of the 6,000 screening tests they performed, and did not originate from 1 Utama premises.

Instead, they were outsourced contract guards from a third-party security company who contracted COVID-19 through their dormitory.

According to 1 Utama, they removed all guards from that security company after MOH informed them that one of their guards tested positive for COVID-19.

These guards were to be redeployed only after they were tested for COVID-19 and confirmed to be negative.

So, they concluded that only 22 confirmed COVID-19 cases can be attributed to their mall, not 63 as JPBD Petaling alleged.

1 Utama COVID-19 Cluster : What To Make Of The Numbers?

First of all, we should note that there are discrepancies between their two numbers.

JPBD Petaling stated that only 16 mall employees tested positive, but 1 Utama clarified that 21 mall employees tested positive. So that’s 5 additional mall employees.

Technically, 1 Utama may be right that the 43 of the 44 infected guards did not originate from their premises. However, they are related to the 1 Utama guard who first tested positive.

While no one can be sure if the infected 1 Utama guard was the index case for their dormitory, it seems logical for JPBD Petaling to include them in the 1 Utama Cluster, at least until they know better.

After all, if they classify the guards in a separate cluster, they would have to “remove” the 1 Utama guard from the 1 Utama cluster, and that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

And what about the three 1 Utama shoppers who tested positive? 1 Utama curiously did not include them.

Depending on how you look at it, the 1 Utama COVID-19 Cluster would more accurately consist of (with the new updates) :

  • 27 cases (if we classify the guards under a separate cluster), or
  • 105 cases (if we lump in the security guards)

Either way, it doesn’t look good for 1 Utama Shopping Centre, or all other shopping centres. It just shows that shopping malls are risky places in this COVID-19 pandemic…

That said, we applaud 1 Utama for arranging for all of their mall employees to be tested. This is something other malls have yet to do.

Note : Ministry of Health today reported that this cluster has a total of 132 cases, and that the index case was indeed the security guard.

 

JPBD Petaling vs 1 Utama : Official Statements

Here are the competing statements from JPBD Petaling and 1 Utama for your perusal :

  • JKBD Petaling 1 Utama COVID-19 cases
  • 1 Utama COVID-19 cases statement

 

1 Utama COVID-19 Cluster : Should You Be Concerned?

These shopping mall infections reinforce the importance of contact tracing, and the MySejahtera app which logs the movements of its users.

While shopping malls and all other public premises offer physical logbooks, we highly recommend that you use MySejahtera, because it allows for easier and faster contact tracing.

Using MySejahtera also obviates the need to sign a physical logbook, which usually means using a shared pen – an unnecessary risk factor.

If you happen to be in close contact with any infected employees in 1 Utama, you will be contacted and asked to self-quarantine and undergo a COVID-19 screening test.

COVID-19 is easily destroyed by soap, so the deep cleaning operation will definitely clean the branch of any infectious particles.

More importantly, face masks greatly reduce the risk of infection. That’s why it is critical for everyone to wear a face mask in public.

 

COVID-19 : How To Keep Safe!

Here are a few simple steps to stay safe from COVID-19 :

  • Avoid suspected cases or disease hotpots, like hospitals, if possible!
  • Avoid public events and crowds
  • Keep our hands clean with soap or hand sanitiser
  • Keep our home, office, vehicles, etc. clean
  • If you need to wear a surgical mask, make sure you put it on and remove it properly!
  • Wash your food with water (and soap) after purchase and before preparation

Recommended : COVID-19 : Hand Sanitiser or Soap? Which Is Better?
Recommended : Surgical Mask : How To CORRECTLY Wear + Remove!
Recommended :
Grocery Shopping Safety During COVID-19
Recommended : COVID-19 Food Safety : Fruits, Vegetables, Takeouts

 

Recommended Reading

 

Support Us!

If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!


About The Author

Related posts

0 Comments

  1. Pingback: 1 Utama Cluster : 132 COVID-19 Cases, Index Case Identified! | The Rojak Pot

  2. Pingback: Jaya Grocer 1 Utama : Security Guard Positive For COVID-19 | Rojak Pot

  3. Pingback: Rotiboy Closes Nationwide After Positive COVID-19 Case! | The Rojak Pot

  4. Pingback: COVID-19 Malaysia : 21363 Cases, 13717 Healed, 190 Dead | Rojak Pot

  5. Pingback: CMCO Roadblocks At Three PJ Highway Tolls! | Rojak Pot

  6. Pingback: Petsmore SS2 + 1 Utama : Closed After COVID-19 Exposure! | Rojak Pot

  7. Pingback: ANGKASA : All Offices Closed After Possible COVID-19 Cases | Rojak Pot

  8. Pingback: Sea Park Wet Market : COVID-19 Testing On 28 October 2020! | Rojak Pot

  9. Pingback: Are There 50 COVID-19 Cases In Tesco Mutiara Damansara? | Rojak Pot

Have something to say? Share it with us!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.