KUCHING, Jan 8: A four-month-old baby and a one-year-old toddler were among four new Covid-19 cases linked to the Keranji Tabuan Cluster out of 16 cases reported in Sarawak today.
The remaining 12 positive cases were recorded in Kuching (6), Miri (4), Samarahan (1) and Julau (1). This thus increased the state tally of positive cases to 1,196.
State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), in a statement today, disclosed that the one-year-old toddler (Case 1,181) was the close contact to Case 1,158 who had undergone test on Jan 7 and discovered positive on the same day.
The four-month-old baby (Case 1,191) who had experienced fever on Dec 31, 2020 and Case 1,192 were family member and close contact to Case 1,179. Both cases were screened on Jan 7 and found positive on Jan 8.
Case 1,183 involved a local man who was the colleague to Case 1,144 and was discovered positive on Jan 7 following a test on Jan 6.
Case 1,188 was a social contact to Case 1,168 who had undergone test at a private hospital here on Jan 7 and later discovered positive on the same day.
Case 1,186 involved a local man who was detected following screening at a government clinic on Jan 6 as part of the requirement prior to entering Sabah.
Kuching also recorded four imported cases with Case 1,184 and 1,185 involving the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) personnel who were detected upon returning from Peninsular Malaysia. Upon arrival using RMAF flight, they proceeded to serve quarantine order and were found positive one Jan 6 following Covid-19 tests.
Case 1,189 and 1,190 were two local men who entered Sarawak through Kuching International Airport (KIA) from Selangor and Kelantan via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Jan 6 and were ordered to serve mandatory quarantine. Both cases were tested on Jan 6 and found positive on Jan 8.
All cases in Kuching are now isolated and treated at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
In Miri, there were three new cases added to the Bah Sayap Cluster with Case 1,193 coming from the same household while Case 1,194 was the social contact to 1,149. The cases were found positive following screening on Jan 7.
Case 1,196 involved a three-year-old toddler who was the close contact to Case 1,137 who was the colleague to the father. The case was discovered to be positive on Jan 8 following a test.
Case 1,195 involved a local man who was detected following private screening before departing to Labuan. The case had travel history to Kuala Lumpur and had returned to Kuching on Dec 13.
The case had also completed his quarantine at a centre with two tests results were negative.
He then departed from Kuching to Sibu via flight on Jan 4 for official business for three days and two nights. On Jan 6, the case arrived in Miri and was immediately screened at a private hospital where the result returned positive.
He was then admitted to Miri Hospital on Jan 7 for further diagnosis and treatment and took the rT-PCR test which confirmed he was positive on Jan 8.
All cases were asymptomatic and were now isolated and treated at the Miri Hospital.
Samarahan also confirmed a local case (Case 1,182) involving a woman who took Covid-19 test on Jan 6 for the purpose of travelling to Singapore and was found positive on Jan 7.
The case was asymptomatic and currently isolated and treated at SGH. The case also denied having close contact with any positive cases reported. As such, contact tracing is currently being carried out by Samarahan Division Health Office.
Julau confirmed an imported case (Case 1,187) involving a local man who returned to Sibu from Johor via Senai International Airport on Jan 4. He had been screened upon arrival at Sibu Airport.
The case was ordered to undergo home quarantine for 1 4 days with wristband given. He had travelled from Sibu Airport to his house at Rantau Pilak, Julau.
The test result returned positive on Jan 5. He is currently isolated and treated at Sibu Hospital while contact tracing for the case is currently underway.
SDMC updated that there were four active clusters in Sarawak with Tabuan Keranji Cluster added four new cases, thus increasing the total of cases to 10 while 62 individuals have been screened whereby 16 negative and 36 still awaiting for results.
Three new cases were recorded in Bah Sayap Cluster in Miri, thus increasing the total of cases to nine while 91 individuals were screened whereby 79 are negative and three awaiting results.
One new case was recorded in the Stutong Cluster in Kuching, thus increasing the total of cases at 12. A total of 272 individuals have been screened with 226 negative while 34 still awaiting results.
The Mador Cluster in Meradong did not record any new cases to maintain the total cases at eight. A total of 1,238 individuals have been screened with 1,217 negative while 13 still awaiting results.
There were five recoveries recorded in Sarawak today and three patients have been discharged from SGH and two from Miri Hospital.
Thus, the total number of recovered cases in Sarawak has increased to 1,090 or 91.14 per cent of total positive cases so far.
With additional 16 cases today, a total of 87 patients are still receiving treatment in hospitals with 44 in SGH, 19 in Miri Hospital, 18 in Sibu Hospital, five in Bintulu Hospital and one in Sungai Buloh Hospital.
The status of Kuching has been changed from yellow to orange zone with 25 local cases reported while Samarahan was reverted to yellow zone. Simanggang, Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Meradong, Bukit Mabong and Lawas remained as yellow zones with a total 19 local cases reported in the past 14 days.
There were 58 more persons-under-investigation (PUI) reported with 13 cases pending laboratory test results.
SDMC updated that 369 more persons-under-surveillance (PUS) have registered into identified hotels to undergo quarantine.
As of today, there were a total number of 4,229 individuals undergoing quarantine in 45 hotels and quarantine facilities throughout the state. — DayakDaily
