By Lian Cheng
KUCHING, April 26: Though far away in the interior, Belaga town has fallen to Covid-19 following a uniformed personnel infecting eight others, giving rise to a new cluster.
According to a statement from the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), the new cluster known as the Pondok Cluster, is a workplace cluster where the index case was traced to a uniformed personnel who works at a government premises.
The 44-year-old officer first tested positive through screening on April 18, 2021 at Sungai Asap Health Clinic and was confirmed positive for Covid-19 through rT-PCR test on April 21, 2021.
Starting to show Covid-19 symptoms on April 8, 2021, the index case was believed to have contracted the pandemic within the Belaga town community where there was a rapid spread of the illness stemmed from a relatively overcrowded residence, occupied by a total of 17 other co-workers.
As a result of further investigation and active screening of close contacts and colleagues to this index case, there was an addition of eight Covid-19 positive cases.
A total of 255 individuals related to the cluster were screened. Apart from the nine (including the index case) who were positive, 116 tested negative for rT-PCR tests while the results of 130 individuals are still pending.
All nine individuals tested positive have been referred to Bintulu Hospital and were admitted to Covid-19 Treatment and Quarantine Centres in Bintulu for isolation and further treatment. — DayakDaily
