Covid-19: Sarawak records highest single day tally of 153 cases

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Photo shows a health worker conducting a swab test on a man in this photo taken in Kuching on Dec 19.  — Photo by Muhammad Rais Sanusi

KUCHING (Jan 11): Sarawak registered a record high of 153 new Covid-19 cases today, bringing the total to 1,428, said State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

He said the highest number of positive cases were recorded in Miri with 94 followed by 25 cases in Sibu, Dalat (17), Kuching (13), Sri Aman (2), Selangau (1) and Beluru (1).

He also announced that a new cluster has been identified and dubbed the Jelita Cluster involving Miri district.

“In Miri, a total of 30 cases have been linked to active clusters in the state namely the Bah Sayap Cluster (23), Stutong Cluster (4), Pasai Cluster (2) and the new Jelita Cluster (3).

“Two of the positive cases were individuals who had returned from high-risk Covid-19 infection areas and 60 cases are still under investigation,” he told a press conference today.

On the positive cases in Sibu, he said 20 infections were from the Pasai Cluster, two from symptomatic individual screenings, two from individuals who had returned from a high-risk Covid-19 infection areas, and one from a close contact screening.

“A total of 17 infections recorded in Dalat district were also from the Pasai Cluster,” he added.

He said in Kuching, the 13 positive cases recorded today comprised of eight individuals who were screened after returning from high-risk Covid-19 infection areas, three from symptomatic individual screenings and two from Stutong Cluster.

“As for Sri Aman district, a positive case was linked to the Pasai Cluster while the other case is detected from a close contacts screening,” he said.

The sole positive case in Beluru was detected from a symptomatic individual screening whereas in Selangau, the positive case involved an individual who had returned from abroad.

Meanwhile, Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister said four Covid-19 patients had recovered today and were allowed to be discharged from Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and Bintulu Hospital respectively.

“The total number of recoveries in the state have now increased to 1,110 or 77.03 per cent out of the overall cases,” he said.

He also said that 310 patients are still being treated at hospitals throughout the state of which 122 are treated at Miri Hospital, 103 at Sibu Hospital, 78 at SGH and seven at Bintulu Hospital.

“There are 168 new person under investigation (PUI) cases reported today with 12 PUI pending lab test results,” he added.

Since the first positive Covid-19 case was reported on March 13, the state has recorded a total of 19 deaths.