This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 9, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Sepang and Kota Samarahan have been categorised as red zones as their number of confirmed Covid-19 cases has breached 40, according to the ministry of health, bringing the total number of red zone areas in the country to 23 as of Tuesday.

Also as of Tuesday, there were 46 infections confirmed in Sepang, Selangor, and 42 in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.

The Klang Valley (Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya) had recorded 1,417 new cases since the movement control order (MCO) started, representing about 42% of the 3,290 cases that had been added since the MCO started on March 18, to a total of 673 recorded a day before that.

Of the 23 red zones, 10 are in the Klang Valley, where there are 14 health districts. All the four districts in Kuala Lumpur have been categorised as red zones, with the total number of infections at 671 as of Tuesday — up from 114 on March 17.

Lembah Pantai, which covers Pantai Dalam, Kampung Kerinchi and Bangsar, remains the red zone with the highest number of Covid-19 cases at 412, followed by Hulu Langat (345), where several villages in the district are currently under the enhanced MCO, and Petaling (306).

There are also three high-rise residential buildings in the capital city, involving about 9,200 residents, under the enhanced MCO. The three buildings are Menara City One condominium in Jalan Munshi Abdullah as well as Selangor Mansion and Malayan Mansion in Jalan Masjid India.

Meanwhile, the red zone areas with more than 100 positive cases are Kluang (174), Seremban (174), Johor Baru (146), Klang (123), Gombak (111) and Kepong (105). Others are Titiwangsa (95), Kinta (93), Kota Baru (85), Hilir Perak (66), Jerantut (61), Batu Pahat (48), Rembau (47), Putrajaya (43) and Jasin (42).