A medical personnel conducts a swab test on a person during mass testing in this Bernama File Photo
KUCHING (May 2): Sarawak today recorded two deaths and 587 new Covid-19 cases, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in a statement.
This brings the death toll to 182 and the total cumulative tally of cases to 31,691.
SDMC said the 181st death involved a 82-year-old woman who was found unconscious at home by family members on April 25 and was brought to Mukah Hospital. The case died on the same day.
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“Previously, the case was exhibiting symptoms of coughing and loss of appetite for three days and began experiencing breathing difficulties.
“Further investigation by the Forensics Department confirmed the deceased had died from Covid-19, and rT-PCR test conducted on the deceased was found positive on April 29,” the committee said.
The deceased had comorbidities of high blood pressure and diabetes and was linked to the Sungai Nirai Cluster in Selangau.
The 182nd death involved an 88-year-old woman who was treated at Sibu Hospital after suffering from breathing difficulties.
“The deceased was exhibiting symptoms of vomiting and fatigue several days ago. Her health condition was deteriorating and she died on May 1,” the committee said.
The deceased had comorbidities of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
On the new cases recorded today, the committee said 67 percent of the overall cases were detected in Mukah, Bintulu, Sibu, Kanowit and Kuching.
On the breakdown of new cases according to districts, Mukah topped the state with 175 cases, where 95 per cent of the cases were longhouse folks detected through Active Case Detection (ACD) and contact screening involving a longhouse that was placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
Bintulu recorded 61 cases, Sibu (57), Kanowit (56), Kuching (45), Kapit (37), Miri (30), Sri Aman (25), Sebauh (20), Song (14), Pakan (9), Serian (8), Meradong (7), Subis (7), Bau (6), Betong (5), Beluru (5), Tebedu (4), Lundu (4), Tanjung Manis (3), Matu (2), Samarahan (2), Tatau (1), Marudi (1), Julau (1), Dalat (1) and Simunjan (1).
“From the 587 new cases reported today, only 47 cases exhibited symptoms associated with Covid-19 when the screening tests were conducted.
“Moreover, 523 cases detected today consist of individuals who were instructed to undergo quarantine order,” SDMC said.
On the breakdown of the new cases, 308 were detected during contact tracing of previously detected positive patients with 18 of them exhibited symptoms; 213 cases were detected from existing clusters (six exhibited symptoms); 44 cases were from other screenings at health facilities with (three exhibited symptoms); 20 were discovered via symptomatic patients’ screenings at health facilities and two involve individuals who returned from other states in Malaysia who were asymptomatic.
On a positive note, the committee said the state recorded 472 new recoveries today, bringing the total recovery and discharged cases in the state to 25,360 or 80.02 per cent of the overall cases in Sarawak.
Currently, there are 6,075 active cases receiving treatment and are isolated in PKRCs and hospital wards according to their referred hospitals.
There were 587 new Person-Under-Investigation (PUI) cases reported today.