KUCHING: Three new Covid-19 clusters were declared by the State Health Department today in Miri, Sibu and Sarikei.
According to Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), the Jalan Kingway cluster in Miri involved a government premises.
“The index case to the cluster is case 13,157, a local man, aged 54, who was detected through symptomatic screening in Miri Hospital on March 17.
“The enforcement officer, started to show symptoms on March 12. The case was investigated and suspected to be infected from a community,” it said.
From the cluster, 384 individuals were tested, 51 cases including the index case tested positive, 173 individuals tested negative in the first test while 160 individuals are waiting for their test results.
The positive cases will be referred to Miri Hospital for further treatment and isolation. Close contacts to the positive cases will also be admitted to a quarantine centre for isolation,” said SDMC.
Meanwhile, in Sibu, the Bulatan Aman cluster involved a factory at Jalan Upper Lanang.
“The index case is case 14,193, a local man, aged 52, who was traced through symptomatic screening at Lanang Health Clinic on March 19,” said SDMC.
According to the committee, the man, a factory lorry driver, started to show symptoms on March 18 and was later suspected to be infected from a community in Sibu.
“Further investigations found that the infection happened at a longhouse in Nanga Assan where the index case lives,” it said.
“Of the 89 individuals who were tested, 43 cases including the index case were positive for Covid-19, 23 individuals were negative and 23 are still waiting for their results.”
In Sarikei, the Jalan Baji cluster is a community cluster involving a housing area in Jalan Baji.
SDMC said the index case is case 15,394, a local boy, aged 16, who was detected through symptomatic screening in Sarikei Health Clinic.
“The index case was found to be reactive to the RTK (Rapid Test Kit) Antigen test on March 25 and was admitted to Sarikei quarantine centre (PKRC) for treatment and isolation.
“The case tested positive for Covid-19 through a rT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test on March 28, and was suspected to be infected from a community around Sarikei Town,” said SDMC.
Of the 29 individuals who were tested, 20 including the index case tested positive, five were negative while another four are still waiting for their results.
“All the positive cases have been referred to Sarikei Hospital and were admitted to Sarikei PKRC for further treatment and isolation,” said the committee.
It said 36 clusters are still active and of the total, 12 clusters had reported new cases.
Today, Beluru district changed its status from yellow to orange after recording 28 cases in the last 14 days, making it the fifth district to turn orange.
Song district changed its status from orange to yellow after 20 infection cases were recorded in the last 14 days, making it the 16th district to turn yellow.
Meanwhile, 11 districts are still red while eight others maintained their green statuses.
