KUCHING: Deputy Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Dato Gerawat Gala tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday.
He had gone for a Reaction Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test yesterday after his self-test’s result on a Rapid Test Kit-Antigen (RTK-Antigen) turned out to be positive.
“Prior to an official programme in Miri yesterday (March 2), I did my own RTK test which turned out positive. A PCR test that followed also returned positive.”
“My daily (self-test) RTK tests for various official programmes and meetings from last week up until the day before had been negative,” he wrote in a Facebook post this morning.
“Apart from a slightly itchy throat, I have no other symptoms and am feeling fine,” he added.
Gerawat said all his immediate household, staff and close contacts have been alerted and thus far, all of them tested negative using a RTK self-test kit.
However, he said, all the close contacts will all self-isolate for a minimum of five days for precautionary measures and repeat the second RTK test on the third day based on the applicable standard operating procedure (SOP).
He will be undergoing a seven-day home quarantine starting yesterday.
Two days ago, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian was also tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, however, has not developed any symptoms.
He had gone for a Reaction Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test as a pre-travel requirement for an overseas official trip, and was shocked that the result came back positive.
“No symptoms and my daily morning self-testing for the last few days has been negative. The positive results come as a shock as I had daily self-testing, always double masks, hand washing and followed SOP,” he wrote in a post on his Facebook page.
Sim, who is also the Public Health, Housing, and Local Government Minister said the current Omicron variant was very infectious and challenging to fight the surge of the cases.
