The Pedas cluster in Negeri Sembilan, which reported 12 new COVID-19 cases today, has accounted for 316 cases so far, out of the screenings done on 844 contacts at the work place and 113 family members, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the positive cases involved 14 Malaysians and 302 foreigners.

"The foreigners comprise 163 Nepalese, 67 Bangladeshis, 35 Myanmar nationals, 31 Indonesians, four Indian nationals, one Vietnamese and one Cambodian.

"This cluster started from Malaysian workers who then infected and spread it to migrant workers. The crammed and narrow living quarters for the migrant workers are the main factor for the spread of the infection among them," he said at a press conference on COVID-19 here today.

He said the affected workers had been isolated at quarantine centres and would not pose a risk to the public.

Dr Noor Hisham said the 12 new cases in this cluster were detected during the fifth screening done on those under quarantine.