A medical personnel conducts a swab test on a person during a mass testing. – Bernama file photo
KUCHING (March 16): Sarawak recorded three Covid-19 fatalities today along with 183 new positive cases, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
It said all three death cases were recorded in Sibu, bringing the state’s Covid-19 death toll now to 94.
“Sibu also registered the highest number of new cases at 73 followed by Miri (22), Bintulu (17), Kapit (17), Julau (12) and Kuching (12).
“Ten other districts recorded single-digit cases namely Meradong (7), Betong (6), Samarahan (4), Sarikei (3), Selangau (3), Saratok (2), Sri Aman (2), Belaga (1), Dalat (1) and Tanjung Manis (1),” it said in a statement.
The state’s Covid-19 cases now stands at 12,885.
On the fatalities, the committee said the 92nd death case involved a 72-year-old Sarawakian man who was admitted to Sibu Hospital after showing symptoms of fever, cough and had trouble breathing.
“The victim’s Rapid Molecular test screening was found positive on Feb 19. His condition deteriorated and he passed away on March 15,” it said, adding that the victim had a history of comorbidity namely hypertension and heart disease.
It said the 93rd fatality involved an 84-year-old Sarawakian men who was admitted to Sibu Hospital after his RT-PCR test turned up positive on March 8.
“His condition deteriorated and he died on March 15. The victim also had a history of comorbidity namely hypertension, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),” it added.
On the 94th death case, it said the victim was a 69-year-old Sarawakian man who sought treatment at Sibu Hospital after suffering from fever, cough and loss of appetite.
“An RT-PCR swab test conducted on the victim returned positive on Feb 27.
“His condition deteriorated and he also passed away on March 15. The victim had a history of hypertension of diabetes,” it said.
On the new cases reported today, SDMC said only 23 individuals out of the 183 new cases had showed signs and symptoms of Covid-19 infection when screenings were conducted.
“There were also 154 cases of individuals who were instructed to be quarantined at quarantine centres.
“Of these figure, 153 individuals have been identified as close contacts of Covid-19 positive cases while one individual had just returned from a high-risk infection area (Import B),” it said.
It summed up that the cases reported today consisted of 96 cases which were detected from screenings of individuals with contact to positive cases; 57 cases which were detected from existing active clusters; 20 cases from other screening at health facilities; nine cases from symptomatic individual screenings at health facilities; and one Import B case involving an individual who had returned from another state in the the country namely Kuala Lumpur.
“In Sibu, 47 cases were traced from individuals who were screened through active case detection (ACD) of contacts to Covid-19 positive cases while another 11 cases were from screenings of individuals at health centres in the district.
“The district also registered which have been linked to active clusters namely the Kampung Hilir Cluster (9), Gelong Cluster (3), Jalan Sanyan Cluster (2), and Jalan Awang Cluster (1),” said the committee.
It pointed out that in Miri, 18 cases were detected from ACD; three involving screening of symptomatic individuals at health centres in the district; and one from other Covid-19 screening at a health centre. The latter has been categorised as an Import C case from Bintulu.
“Bintulu’s 17 cases consisted of seven cases detected from ACD; six from other screenings at health centres; three involving screening of symptomatic individuals at health centres; and one Import C case from Miri after it was detected from screening of health workers at a health facility in the district,” it said.
SDMC said 11 of Kapit’s cases involved the Pasai Cluster while another four have been linked to the Gelong Cluster.
“There were also two cases which were detected from ACD,” it added.
On Kuching’s cases, the committee said the district detected ten cases from ACD; one from other screenings at health facilities as well as an Import B case involving an individual who was infected from Kuala Lumpur.
“For Julau, all 12 cases were detected from ACD whereas in Meradong, six were detected from ACD while one involved the screening of a symptomatic individual at a health centre,” it said.
Betong and Samarahan’s cases were all linked to active clusters namely the Jalan Muhibbah Cluster (6) and Emperoh Jambu Cluster (4) respectively.
“In Selangau, two cases involved the Buloh Cluster while one was traced through ACD.
“Sarikei also detected two cases through ACD while another case involved screening of symptomatic individual at a health centre in the district,” it said.
Saratok’s two cases involved the Emperoh Jambu Cluster while in Sri Aman, one case has been linked to the Jalan Main Bazaar cluster and another through ACD, added the committee.
The sole cases in Belaga, Dalat and Tanjung Manis were all traced through ACD.
Meanwhile, SDMC said 204 Covid-19 patients had recovered today of which 121 were discharged from Sibu Hospital; 26 from Bintulu Hospital; 18 from the quarantine and low-risk patients treatment centre (PKRC) under Kapit Hospital; 14 from PKRC Betong; ten from Miri Hospital; eight from Sarawak General Hospital (SGH); six from Sarikei Hospital; and one from PKRC Mukah.
“The total number of recoveries in the state have now increased to 10,401 or 80.72 per cent out of the overall cases,” it said.
It also said that 2,343 patients were still being isolated and treated at hospitals and PKRCs throughout the state, where 714 were being treated at Sibu Hospital and PKRC Sibu; 434 at Miri Hospital and PKRC Miri; 327 at Bintulu Hospital and PKRC Bintulu; 273 at SGH and PKRC Kuching; 206 at Kapit Hospital and PKRC Kapit; 177 at Betong Hospital and PKRC Betong; 151 at Sarikei Hospital and PKRC Sarikei; 20 at Sri Aman Hospital and PKRC Sri Aman; 18 at PKRC Mukah; 18 at PKRC Serian; three at Limbang Hospital and two at PKRC Lawas.
A total of 185 new person under investigation (PUI) cases were also reported with two pending lab test results.