KUCHING: Another 16 cases of the Covid-19 Delta variant (B.1 617.2) have been detected here.
Sarawak now has 17 cases, with the first case reported on July 8 involving a 56-year-old man.
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) director Prof Dr David Perera had disclosed the cases in his latest report to Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas on Tuesday (July 13).
“The IHCM has been tracking the SARS-COV-2 variants circulating in the state.
“As part of this ongoing surveillance, I would like to report that as of July 4, an additional 16 cases of the Delta variant have been detected in Kuching,” he said.
He added that besides the Delta variant, one new case of the Beta variant (B.1.351) was also detected in Kuching in the same period.
On the Beta variant, Prof Dr Perera said Sarawak now had 35 cases in Kuching, three in Bau and one each in Lundu, Serian, Simunjan and Sibu.
“We have another three imported cases to make a total of 45 for this Beta variant.”
On the Theta variant, he said there was no increase in the number of cases, whereby six cases were detected in Kuching and seven in Kota Samarahan.
“It is the same for the Eta variant. There has been no increase. We have one case – an Import A case.
“As such, a cumulative total of 76 Variant of Concern (VOC) and Variant of Interest (VOI) have been detected in Sarawak from positive Covid-19 cases up to July 4,” said Prof Dr Perera.
