Abdul Karim speaking during a daily press conference on Covid-19 today.
KUCHING: Sarawak recorded 18 new positive cases of Covid-19 today, bringing the total number of positive cases to 306 cases since the first positive case was reported on March 13.
Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said that of the 18 new positive cases, 14 were being treated at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), three in Sibu Hospital and one case was being treated in Miri Hospital.
No deaths were recorded in the state today, making the total Covid-19 death in the state remain at 12.
Asked about the case where a 53-year-old man from Batu Kawa died due to the virus on March 31, Abdul Karim said the Health Department is still investigating the source of his infection.
“He must have gotten it from someone some two weeks or at most a month before his death. The Health Department is still investigating and tracing the source of his infection.
“As of now there are no details,” he said in a press conference giving the daily update on Covid-19 today.
Meanwhile, Abdul Karim said that 67 new Person-Under-Investigation (PUI) cases were reported today, making it a total cumulative of 1,864 cases.
“From the total, 1,503 cases were tested negative and 55 PUI cases are pending laboratory results,” he added.
Abdul Karim, who was deputising for Deputy Chief Minister and Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, further informed the total new PUI cases in Kuching district is 38 cases.
“Samarahan has 14 new PUI cases, Miri five, Betong three, Bintulu two, Bau one, Saratok one, Sarikei one, Sibu one and Marudi one,” he said.
When asked about a claim that Assistant Minister of Transport Datuk Dr Jerip Susil who tested positive for Covid-19 has been discharged from SGH, Abdul Karim said he has not received any confirmation on the matter.