AFP file photo for illustration purposes.
KUCHING: Sarawak recorded a double-digit spike in Covid-19 cases today after 10 new positive cases were detected, in what State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas regards as the start of the second wave of infections in the state.
“Take (it) as a second wave. SDMC has directed the Health Department to be ready. On Monday they will inform us on the status of protective personal equipment (PPE) in all hospitals throughout the state so that we won’t be caught (unawares) later,” he said at the daily Covid-19 update press conference.
The new cases raised the total number of positive cases in the state to 594.
Out of the 10 cases, two cases are close contacts of the positive case detected on July 13 on the LNG Jupiter ship that is being quarantined at sea off Bintulu Port. They were tested on July 16 and their rT-PCR test found that they tested positive on the same day. They are non-citizens who did not show any symptoms. They will be brought to Bintulu Hospital for treatment.
Four cases involve Malaysians who came back from overseas and are currently undergoing their 14-day quarantine.
Two of these cases are located in Kuching, while the other two are located in Samarahan. They are currently asymptomatic and are currently undergoing treatment at Sarawak General Hospital and are considered imported cases.
One case involves a senior citizen from Kuching who was referred to SGH on July 9 after suffering from Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).
She has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure. A repeat swab test for rT-PCR on July 16 found her positive.
The case is currently being treated as a local transmission case as she did not have a history of overseas travel.
One case is a healthcare personnel, who is the colleague of the 582nd case detected on July 15 as a result of contact tracing. This case is also asymptomatic and considered as a local transmission with no history of overseas travel.
The remaining two cases involve citizens who went for a health checkup at private hospitals. They are also asymptomatic. Their source of infection is still under investigation.
Uggah informed that there are now two new clusters, namely LNG Jupiter ship cluster and Kuching medical centre cluster.
“With the addition of two new cases today, that makes the total number of cases involving (the ship) cluster as three, out of a total of 30 screened crew members.
“As for the medical centre, the additional case today makes it a total of two cases. The source of infection is still under investigation and contact tracing is ongoing,” he said.
Uggah informed also that there were also no cases of recoveries and discharges. To-date, 554 or 93.27 per cent of total cases have recovered from the disease and have been discharged.
“There are 22 patients still under treatment in isolation wards.
“There are 23 new persons-under-investigation (PUIs), and two cases are still awaiting their laboratory results,” he said.
The cumulative total of PUIs is 8,743 to-date.
With no deaths reported, the death toll in the state remains unchanged at 18.
On persons-under-surveillance (PUS) cases, there are currently 43 individuals who have checked into hotels for their compulsory quarantine today, bringing the the total number of current PUS to 449 individuals at eight hotels statewide.
To date, those who have completed their quarantine period numbered at 18,783.