KUCHING: Housing and Local Government Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said he was made to understand that the new Covid-19 case involving a student in Bintulu yesterday was “very unusual”.
Dr Sim, in a Facebook post yesterday, said the student was quarantined for two months in Kuala Lumpur and had underwent four Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests that came back negative.
Besides that, he said the student was quarantined for another two weeks at home upon arriving in Sarawak and had underwent PCR tests that also came back negative.
The student, was however tested positive at the end of the two weeks home quarantine.
The Covid-19 positive case detected in Bintulu was among the four new cases recorded in Sarawak yesterday. The others are Kuching, Tanjong Manis, Serian.
As for the case in Tanjong Manis, Dr Sim said the student was tested positive for Covid-19 following a PCR test as part of the additional policy of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) for returning students from Red zone to Green Zone.
He said both students in Bintulu and Tanjong Manis had showed no symptoms.
Dr Sim said the case in Serian was detected following a contact tracing, while the case in Kuching was detected after the patient suffered from severe acute respiratory (SAR) infection.
Meanwhile, Dr Sim said the State Health Department (JKNS) not only need to do contact tracing but need to start active case management in the effort to contain the pandemic.
He added that the four new cases registered yesterday were the manifestation of how difficult it is to fight Covid-19.
“It is not just another four cases but it showed how hard to fight Covid-19. We really need every Sarawakian to do their part and take Covid-19 seriously. Be part of Sarawak solidarity,” he said.