Bernama file photo shows a health worker conducting a Covid-19 swab test.
KUCHING (July 5): Covid-19 targeted screening at a plywood factory in Kuala Baram has yielded 113 cases, which is almost a quarter of the 424 new infections in Sarawak today, the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said.
SDMC pointed out that of the 113 cases at the factory, 107 cases involved foreigners and the rest locals, adding that the workers’ quarters have been placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) until July 15.
“The EMCO affects about 210 individuals to stop the spread of Covid-19. Industry 121 Cluster, Kuala Baram has also been declared,” said SDMC in its daily update.
SDMC said the factory in Miri had been ordered to close until July 19 and it had been issued a compound of RM10,000 for failing to seek approval from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development to operate at more than 50 per cent workforce capacity.
It said in its daily update that Miri had recorded a total of 120 cases today and the district along with Kuching, Telang Usan, Meradong and Sibu made up 75 per cent of the state’s total for the day.
As a whole, Sarawak’s Covid-19 cases climbed to 66,985 and the number of fatalities remains unchanged at 419 as no deaths were recorded today.
On the rest of the new cases, SDMC said Kuching came in second wit 92 cases followed by Telang Usan (40), Meradong (34), Sibu (32), Sri Aman (19) and Kanowit (14).
Other districts that reported single-digit cases were Selangau (8), Bintulu (8), Sarikei (7), Mukah (7), Bau (7), Tatau (6), Kabong (5), Bukit Mabong (5), Subis (4), Samarahan (4), Kapit (3), Serian (3), Lundu (2), Julau (1), Belaga (1), Song (1) and Saratok (1).
SDMC said 22 individuals out of the 424 new cases had shown signs and symptoms of Covid-19 during when their swab tests were taken.
“238 of the new cases are linked to the existing active clusters. They are asymptomatic while two other new cases were imported from Taiwan.”
SDMC said Sarawak recorded 322 new recovery and discharged cases, bringing the cumulative number of such cases to 56,374 or 84.16 per cent of the total infections.
It added that a total of 10,037 individuals are still being treated and isolated at the various hospital wards and Covid-19 Quarantine and Low-risk Treatment Centres (PKRC).