SIBU, March 6: The 61 residents of Rumah Berendam in Durin who were found Covid-19 negative from the first swab test will be placed in a quarantine centre tomorrow.
Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee in saying this at his daily Covid-19 update on Facebook said the decision was made so as to prevent an outbreak of the disease.
He said Sibu Division Health Officer Dr Teh Jo Hun had made the recommendation to transfer them to a quarantine centre after 28 persons were reported to have contracted the disease.
“We believe that one positive case had brought the disease to the longhouse and infected 28 residents. This is very high and the longhouse will have to be placed under lockdown,” he added.
The Nangka assemblyman said 89 swab tests were done from the longhouse which is located 40km from here in Ulu Durin Kiba.
He added that the 61 residents would have to undergo another swab test soon.
“I urge those going back to their longhouse to follow the SOP as a precaution. They should also not mix around with others,” he said.
Of the 79 cases reported in Sibu today, he said they were from the 1,600 swab tests with the positivity rate at 4.9 per cent.
A breakdown of the 79 cases saw 39 in Sibu Municipal Council area, 37 in Sibu Rural District Council and three in Sibu Jaya.
In replying to a question by a viewer, he said a two-week lockdown on any place is not sufficient to slow down the spread of the disease.
“It also depends on the cooperation of the people like those who have close contact with positive cases that they have to go for swab test. Residents must also follow the SOP. If we don’t follow the SOP, a lockdown will be useless,” he said.
On Sentosa where Phase 2 is under a two-week lockdown, he said another round of swab test will be carried out in six days’ time.
Meanwhile PBB Dudong this morning donated 1,200 chicken to residents of Phase 2 Sentosa where each family received two chicken.
Farley Foundation followed suit by giving 600 packs of dry food. — DayakDaily
