PETALING JAYA: Another 110 new Covid-19 cases have been reported, bringing the total to 900 cases as of noon Thursday (March 19), says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba.

In a statement, he said there were 15 recovered Covid-19 patients who had been discharged, bringing the total to 75 cases.

Dr Adham also said that a total of 20 cases were being treated in the intensive care unit and needed ventilators.

Based on preliminary investigations, 63 of the 110 new cases reported were linked to the tabligh gathering at Masjid Jamek, Sri Petaling, which brings the total number of linked cases to 576.

The majority of Covid-19 cases recorded in the country have been from the tabligh cluster.

While more than 10,000 of those who attended the event screened, the authorities are still trying to identify another 4,000 attendees.

Of the 10,000 screened, about 5,000 were asked to give samples and out of this, about one in 10 was positive for the virus.

'We urge the participants who haven't come forward to be screened to be checked by the Health Ministry," Health Ministry director general Datuk Seri Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a Facebook post on Thursday (March 19).

Dr Adham also confirmed that a passenger travelling in a bus from Johor Baru to Kuantan was Covid-19 positive.

"We have taken measures to identify all passengers in that bus.

"We are in the process of screening them. We will also advice the National Security Council to impose certain regulations for busses to ferry passengers, including social distancing and the use of personal protection equipment," he said.

It was reported that a male passenger on board a bus that departed from Larkin Sentral at 7.45pm Monday (March 16) tested positive for Covid-19.

The bus, with the licence plate VDJ 2367, had stopped at the Endau bus station in Mersing before arriving at Terminal Sentral Kuantan.

Asked about reports that Kelantan mufti Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad had been admitted to the hospital for suspected Covid-19, Dr Adham said he is waiting for the official report.

It was reported that Shukri was hospitalised with a fever and sore throat after returning from Sarawak recently.