By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Oct 3: Eight close contacts in Miri have been identified following contact tracing performed by the Miri Health Department on a positive case of Covid-19 detected from Pa’ Dalih, Bario, Marudi.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in a statement today said the State Health Department was notified by the Sepang Health Department in Selangor that there was a Sarawakian from Miri who was tested positive for Covid-19.
The committee said the patient had undergone Covid-19 swab test at a private hospital in Selangor on September 30 before departing to Iraq to work with an oil and gas company.
The committee revealed that the patient was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on October 1 and was admitted to Sungai Buloh Hospital for further medical treatment on the same day.
Following investigation, SDMC said the patient was in Permyjaya, Miri before departing to Kuala Lumpur on September 29.
The committee said the patient had visited his family in Pa’ Dalih, Bario, Marudi in the past 14 days before being tested positive for Covid-19 through rapid test polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) on September 30.
Hence, SDMC said contact tracing linked to the patient from Pa’ Dalih, Bario was being carried out with the assistance of Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department using helicopters in Pa’ Dalih.
The committee said an estimated 17 persons of close contacts in Pa’ Dalih, Bario were linked to the patient.
SDMC said the healthcare team will take the sample for Covid-19 swab test for residents in Pa’ Dalih, Bario who have been identified as high risk people based on its risk evaluation.
The committee said all the close contacts who have undergone the Covid-19 swab test were awaiting laboratory test results.
It added the source of the infection is still under investigation.
Meanwhile, SDMC said the patient had previously returned from Iraq on July 27 and arrived in Miri on August 10 after undergoing 14 days quarantine in Kuala Lumpur.
It gathered that the patient had undergone Covid-19 swab test twice and both results were negative. —DayakDaily
