Covid-19: Sarawak Health Department searches for people with close contact to patient 33

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The department will conduct contact tracing activities for anyone who has been in contact with this patient in accordance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) in dealing with Covid-19 cases. File Photo

KUCHING: The Sarawak Health Department is tracking down individuals who came in close contact with a Malaysian man diagnosed with Covid-19 on March 2, said Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

He said that this was a precautionary measure as the 58-year-old man, who has been identified by the Health Ministry as the 33rd confirmed Covid-19 case in the country, was in Kuching some 14 days ago.

“The department will conduct contact tracing activities for anyone who has been in contact with this patient in accordance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) in dealing with Covid-19 cases,” he told reporters here.

Dr Sim advised the public not to panic and not to listen to any rumours about the patient, stressing that Sarawak was still free from the virus.

“If you have any concerns on Covid-19, you can contact its Sarawak hotline,” he said.

The hotline is 082-443248 (Sarawak Health Department Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre), 082-276666 (Kuching Hospital), 085-420033 (Miri Hospital), 086-255899 (Bintulu Hospital) and 084-343333 (Sibu Hospital).

Health Director-General Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement last night that patient 33 was in Kuching on February 16 to attend a meeting. He is warded at Sungai Buloh Hospital in Selangor and his condition is stable.

Dr Noor Hisham also said that patient 33 is one of seven cases who had close contact with patient 26.

Patient 26 is reported to be a senior official of Khazanah Nasional Berhad and UDA Holdings Berhad. He had reportedly come in close contact with a former minister and deputy minister, who had both tested negative for the virus yesterday.

Thirty-six Covid-19 cases have been detected in Malaysia, including 22 patients who have been treated and discharged.