KUCHING: One new positive case was recorded in Bintulu today, after a seven-day streak of zero positive cases, said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that the imported case involved a 22-year-old female student who had just returned from the United Kingdom via the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on July 1 and arrived at Bintulu on July 3.
“She underwent a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test upon arrival in KLIA. The result was only made known 24 hours later. She was quarantined at a hotel in Bintulu while waiting for the result,” he said in a press conference giving the Covid-19 update.
This makes this the 572nd case in Sarawak to date, while the death toll remains at 17.
Uggah said because Kuala Lumpur does not quarantine international arrivals immediately, Sarawak has to take its own measures for Malaysians arriving from overseas into the state.
He said those travelers are required undergo mandatory quarantine at designated hotels upon arrival.
“They will be screened on the third day of quarantine. If they are found to be negative, they can continue their quarantine at home.
“They will be tested again on the 10th day. If they are still negative, after 14 days of quarantine, they will be released.
“This is how we were able to detect the student who just returned from the UK,” he said.
For Malaysians and foreigners who have been in Malaysia since before the pandemic, Uggah said they would be subjected to random PCR screenings upon arrival.
Meanwhile, Uggah also reveal that 61 new person-under-investigation (PUI) cases were also recorded today with one still waiting for lab test result.
Only six active cases are being treated at hospitals to date.
Although today’s positive case was recorded in Bintulu, Uggah said Bintulu was still in the green zone because the classification does not include imported cases.
Only Kuching remains in the yellow zone while 39 other districts are in the green zone.
He also revealed 110 new person-under-surveillance (PUS) cases today, making it 663 cases being quarantined at 12 hotels around the state.