KUCHING: The State Health Department yesterday (May 10) declared two new Covid-19 clusters in Sarawak, with one each in Tatau and Selangau.
The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said the first cluster, Ulu Anap cluster in Tatau, involved a longhouse at Ulu Sungai Anap.
It said the index case of the cluster, Case 30,841, was a 38-year-old local woman who was detected through symptomatic individual screening at Nanga Tau Health Clinic on April 29 and confirmed positive on May 1.
“The case, who worked as a private general worker at a primary school in Nanga Tau, had contracted the virus from the community. She spread it to her family members and then to other residents in the longhouse through close and casual contacts,” explained SDMC.
It added that the woman began experiencing the Covid-19 symptoms on Apr 23.
“Of the 125 individuals, who were screened; 19 including the index case were positive, 104 were negative while two are still awaiting laboratory results.
“The longhouse was placed under enhanced movement control order (EMCO),” it said.
The committee added all the positive cases from this cluster were referred to Bintulu Hospital and admitted to the Covid-19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centre (PKRC) under it for isolation and further treatment.
SDMC said the second cluster, Emperan cluster, involved three longhouses in Selangau.
It said the index case of the cluster, Case 32,502, was a 27-year-old local woman who was detected as a result of symptomatic screening.
“The case started experiencing Covid-19 symptoms on Apr 23 and received her initial treatment at Selangau Health Clinic on Apr 28 where her RTK Antigen was reactive.
“She was then referred to Sibu Hospital and was confirmed positive on May 4 while she was in the hospital ward,” it explained.
The committee said that the woman, who worked as a clerk in a government premises in Pekan Selangau, had contracted the virus from the community. She spread it to her family members and then to residents in the three longhouses through close and casual contacts.
“Of the 436 individuals who were screened, 97 including the index case were found positive, while 339 were negative.
“All the 97 cases were referred to Sibu Hospital and were admitted to the PKRC under it for isolation and further treatment,” it said.
SDMC said the state now had 78 active clusters; 17 of them had recorded an additional of 150 new cases while 63 other clusters reported no additional cases.
The committee added Telang Usan district had become a green zone after recording zero cases in the past two weeks.
Sarawak now has three green zones and nine yellow zones.
Tatau district is now a red zone after recording 42 new cases in the past 14 days.
With that, Sarawak now has 28 districts which are red zones.
