A Covid-19 swab team carrying out sampling at a longhouse in Sibu recently.
KUCHING (April 27): A funeral has resulted in one of two new Covid-19 clusters affecting longhouses in Kanowit today, the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said.
It said in its pandemic update that the Health Department had identified the community clusters as the Sungai Tuah Cluster and Sungai Ngungun Cluster.
SDMC said the index case in the Sungai Tuah Cluster, which was linked to a funeral, was a 41-year-old woman who was detected through the screening of symptomatic individuals in SIbu Hospital after being referred by a private hospital in the district on April 16.
“The spread of infection stemmed from a funeral held on April 12, followed by evening prayers from April 12 to 14, which were also attended by relatives from Miri, Julau and Sibu districts,” it said.
For the freshest news, join Borneo Post Online Telegram Channel
Further investigation and active screening of contacts to the index case and targeted screening on longhouse residents resulted in an additional 30 cases.
A total of 83 individuals were screened and 52 cases were found to be negative for rT-PCR test.
All 31 positive cases were referred to the Sibu Hospital and Kanowit Hospital and have been admitted to the Sibu Hospital’s Quarantine and Low-Risk Treatment Centre (PKRC).
On the Sungai Ngungun Cluster, SDMC said the index case is a 67-year-old Sarawakian man who was detected through a second pre-treatment screening at Sibu Hospital on April 11.
“The index case was infected in the community in Kanowit district while seeking treatment at the hospital and the infection had spread to the longhouse residents through close contact.”
Further investigation and screening of family members, casual contacts and targeted screening on longhouse residents found an additional 25 positive cases. A total of 65 individuals were screened, with 39 cases were found to be negative after their first rT-PCR test.
All 26 positive cases were referred to Kanowit Hospital and have been admitted to PKRC under Sibu Hospital.
Meanwhile, SDMC said that the total number of clusters that are still active in the state is 63.
“A total of 18 clusters have recorded a total of 144 additional cases for the day,” it said.
The Putai, Bukit Mabong Cluster recorded the most new infections at 64 for a total of 308 cases.
Other clusters that recorded new cases were Jalan Maju Cluster in Sibu; Jalan Kapitan in Marudi; Sungai Gemuan Cluster in Meradong; Pujut Satu Cluster in Miri; Jalan Bambangan Cluster in Mukah; Abak Bon Cluster in Subis; Jalan Puncak Borneo Cluster in Kuching; Jalan Sultan Iskandar Cluster in Bintulu; Jalan Disa Cluster in Sibu; Sungai Anus Cluster in Selangau; Sungai Passin Cluster in Matu; Kampung Tengah Cluster in Betong; Icom Cluster in Kuching; Jalan Roban Lama Cluster in Saratok; and Jalan Sebauh-Bintulu Cluster in Sebauh.