Bernama file photo for illustration purposes.
KUCHING (Jan 18): Sarawak today recorded two new deaths due to Covid-19 and 100 new cases for the day, said State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
“The deaths were recorded in Miri and in Sibu, bringing the state’s death toll to 21 cases to date.
“The state also recorded 100 new cases today, bringing the total positive cases to 2,211,” he told a press conference on Covid-19 updates.
Uggah, who is deputy chief minister, informed that one of the deaths involved a 42-year-old man who had tested positive for Covid-19 after he died in Miri Hospital. The case was included in the January 17 statistics.
The case was admitted to Miri Hospital on Jan 13 due to unconsciousness and had died on Jan 14. A test swab of this case was taken on Jan 14 and the result came back positive on Jan 16. He had a history of comorbidity such as diabetes, high blood pressure and Hepatitis C. However, clinical investigation found that he had died due to Covid-19.
“The 21st death involves a 55-year-old Sarawakian man who was tested positive on January 15 and was admitted to Sibu Hospital on the same day. This case, who originated from Kanowit District, was a contact to a positive case in the Pasai Cluster screened on Jan 12. The case also had high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney infection.
“The case was confirmed to have died at 1.41am today,” he said.
Out of the 100 new cases, Uggah informed that Sibu recorded 37 cases, Beluru (27), Betong (7), Miri (7), Kuching (6), Bintulu (4), Selangau (4), Sri Aman (3), Lubok Antu (3) , Sarikei (1) and Kanowit (1).
“In Sibu, 28 cases are from the Pasai Cluster, while eight other cases are individuals who had undergone screening at a health facility in Sibu District.
“One case is a Sarawakian who had returned from a high-risk infection area in the country (Negeri Sembilan),” he said.
The 27 new cases in Beluru are also from the Pasai Cluster.
As for Miri, Uggah said four of the seven cases are individuals screened for having contact with Covid-19 positive cases. They are categorised as locally transmitted cases.
“The other is a case from the Jelita Cluster, while another is an infection from Betong involving the Pasai Cluster
“One case is screening of an individual who was going to sign on to a vessel, categorised as a locally transmitted case,” he said.
In Betong District, six cases came from the Pasai Cluster, while one is a result of screening after returning from a high-risk area in the country (Johor).
In Kuching District, two cases are from Stutong Cluster, one screened for having symptoms of Covid-19 infection, and three cases are Sarawakians screened for having returned from high-risk areas in the country, namely from Kedah and Selangor.
In Bintulu District, all four cases are individuals screened for having contact with Covid-19 positive cases. They are categorised as locally transmitted cases.
In Selangau District, all cases involved Pasai Cluster.
In Sri Aman District, all three cases are individuals screened through active case detection (ACD) of contacts to Covid-19 positive cases. They are categorised as locally transmitted cases.
In the nearby Lubok Antu District, two cases are a result of ACD of contacts to Covid-19 positive cases. They are categorised as locally transmitted cases. One case is an individual who were screened for having signs and symptoms of early Covid-19 infection and is also categorised as locally transmitted.
The one case each in Sarikei District and Kanowit District involved the Pasai Cluster.
Meanwhile, Uggah said that there were six cases of recovery and discharge for the day, with five from Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and one from Sibu Hospital.
“As of today, 1,180 or 53.37 per cent of total cases have recovered and discharged.
“A total of 1,010 cases are still being treated at hospitals’ isolation wards. Out of that, 603 are in Sibu Hospital, 239 in Miri Hospital, 117 in SGH, 49 in Bintulu Hospital and one each in Limbang Hospital and Kapit Hospital,” he said.
There were 133 new Person-Under-Investigation (PUI) reported for the day, with 30 still awaiting lab results.
This brings the cumulative total of PUIs to 12,821 to-date.
As for Person-Under-Surveillance (PUS), there were 261 individuals who have checked into designated quarantine centres for their compulsory quarantine Monday. This brings the total of current PUS to 6,140 individuals at 63 hotels and non-hotel quarantine centres state-wide.
To-date, those who have completed their quarantine period numbered at 52,882.