KUCHING: The number of Covid-19 cases in Sibu Division is expected to increase for the next few days, said State Health director Dr Chin Zin Hing.
Although this may sound worrying, the increasing trend was actually due to the proactive strategies adopted by all agencies and communities to detect Covid-19 cases and prevent its spread.
“At the moment, Sibu Divisional Health Department together with the Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee are actively carrying out ACDs at all affected longhouses and localities exposed to positive cases in order to detect all the positive cases as fast as possible.
“Therefore, the number of cases is expected to increase … However, the number hopefully will decline once the transmission can be controlled,” he said when speaking at a press conference on daily Covid-19 update today.
He noted that from Jan 1 to Jan 22 this year, Sibu has reported a total of 1,182 Covid-19 cases.
“Among them, 236 were detected through active case detection (ACD), 652 through drive-through screening, 235 from samples taken in Lanang Health Clinic, and 59 from KK Sibu Jaya Health Clinic.
“Most of the results were the first samples taken among individuals who were exposed to positive cases or localities visited by positive cases.
“Up to 12 noon today, there are 191 pending results,” he disclosed.
Dr Chin further hoped to get cooperation from all the communities to come forward for screening if one develops any symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat, and to limit any movement outside their house unless necessary.
“Do not go to work or public places if you have symptoms as you may spread the disease to others,” he added.
In another development, Dr Chin confirmed that there are 20 medical staff members in Miri Hospital who are positive for Covid-19.
“When we have Covid-19 cases, we also have to quarantine their close contacts. So almost 200 other staff have been quarantined because of that.
“Since we also have a lot of Covid-19 patients under quarantine in wards and so on, we want to control the number of visitors coming to the hospital.
“That is why we suspend some of the services at the health facility but we make sure that the drug supplies are not affected in the process,” he said.
