A medical personnel conducts a swab test on a person during mass testing in this Bernama File Photo.
KUCHING (March 16): Three new Covid-19 clusters in Sarawak have emerged according to the State Health Department, bringing the number of active clusters in the state to 31, said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
Two of the new clusters, dubbed the Kampung Hilir Cluster and Jalan Sanyan Cluster were detected in Sibu district while the Nango Bulo Cluster was detected in Julau.
“The Kampung Hilir Cluster is a community cluster which was detected in a village at Jalan Kampung Hilir, Sibu. The index case of the cluster is a Sarawakian woman aged 22 who was detected through a health screening at the Lanang Health Clinic on March 10.
“The index case, who works as a clerk in Sibu town, was believed to have been infected from the community while moving around town. Following active case detection, an additional 34 cases were found positive for Covid-19. All cases in this cluster were admitted to the Laila Taib College quarantine centre and referred to the Sibu Hospital for isolation and further treatment,” SDMC said its statement on daily Covid-19 update today.
Meanwhile, the Jalan Sanyan Cluster is a workplace cluster involving a supermarket at Jalan Sanyan, Sibu.
“The index case is a 38-year-old Sarawakian woman who works as a store custodian at the supermarket’s stock department. She was found positive for Covid-19 through an individual screening for having come into contact with another Covid-19 patient on March 4.
“After screening was conducted on her colleagues, 18 more positive Covid-19 cases were detected. All 19 patients were referred to the Sibu Hospital for isolation and further treatment and active case detection involving all supermarket workers, visitors and the building’s residents will be carried out at Jalan Sanyan,” SDMC said.
The Nanga Bulo Cluster is a community cluster involving three longhouses in Nanga Bulo, Entabai in the Julau district.
The index case was a 55-year-old Sarawakian woman who was found positive after undergoing an individual screening on March 8 at the Sibu Hospital’s Emergency and Trauma Department.
“She had received emergency treatment at the hospital due to experiencing difficulty breathing, cough and fever.
“After screening all of her close contacts and villagers in the three longhouses, 32 new positive cases were detected. Thus, the three longhouses were placed under lockdown on March 12 to March 25 to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the area. All of the patients were referred to Sarikei Hospital for isolation and further treatment and those who were found reactive to the RTK Antigen test will be placed in a quarantine centre in Sarikei to undergo the 14-day quarantine period and take the rT-PCR Covid-19 test,” said the committee.
Aside from the three new clusters, seven other clusters recorded new cases namely the Jalan Main Bazaar Cluster in Sri Aman with one new case; Awang Cluster in Sibu (9); Buloh Cluster in Selangau (2); Jalan Muhibbah Cluster in Betong (6); Emperoh Jambu Cluster in Kuching (6); Gelong Cluster in Kapit (7) and Pasai Cluster in Sibu (11).
The other clusters in the state did not record any new cases and they are the Tanjung Cluster in Bintulu; Begalak Cluster in Song; Buluh Pasi Cluster in Meradong; Sena Cluster in Miri; Kiba Cluster in Sibu; Melor Cluster in Pusa; Tunggal Cluster in Julau; Jalan Ho Pin Cluster in Samarahan; Sungaii Bakong Cluster in Meradong; Kampung Sungai Maong Cluster in Kuching; Jalan Green Cluster in Kuching; Kejatau Cluster in Sri Aman; Jan Yong Cluster in Kapit; Geronggang Cluster in Sibu; Univista Cluster in Samarahan; Kidurong Dua Cluster in Bintulu; Nanga Lijan Cluster in Julau; Seruas Cluster in Beluru; Sebangkoi Cluster in Sri Aman; Jun Heng Cluster in Bintulu; Rakut Cluster in Miri and the Tagap sub-cluster in Subis.
The State Health Department also declared an end to the Mas Merah Cluster in Sibu after no new cases were detected in a period of 28 days from the date of the last recorded positive case involving this cluster.
Meanwhile, SDMC said that the Marudi district reverted back to a green zone from a yellow zone after no new local infections were detected in the last 14 days.
“The Selangau district changed to an orange zone after 21 local infections were recorded in the past 14 days,” added the committee.
The districts of Song, Serian, Subis, Julau, Betong, Meradong, Kuching, Kapit, Bintulu, Miri and Sibu remain as red zones after a total of 2,590 local infections was reported in the 11 districts in the past 14 days.
“Bau, Mukah and Sarikei districts remain as orange zones with a total of 91 local infections reported in the past 14 days.
“The districts of Dalat, Limbang, Telang Usan, Tanjung Manis, Sri Aman, Kanowit, Samarahan, Belaga, Lundu, Bukit Mabong, Tatau, Pusa, Asajaya, Beluru, Saratok and Sebauh remain as yellow zones after a total of 114 local infections were reported in the last 14 days,” said SDMC.
The eight other districts in the state remain as green zones.
SDMC also noted that the police had issued 29 compounds for defying the standard operating procedures, out of which 22 were issued in Kuching, Miri (4) and Padawan (3).