Chef tests positive for Covid-19, infects 13 on trip home to Kg Mongkos in Tebedu

Covid-19 file pic

By Adrian Lim

KUCHING, May 4: A 49-year-old restaurant chef at a shopping mall here has tested positive for Covid-19 and infected 13 others while visiting his hometown in Tebedu, sparking the Mongkos Cluster.

He transmitted the coronavirus to his family members and the infection later spread to a primary school in Tebedu and a secondary school in Serian.

According to reports from the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today, the Mongkos Cluster is a community cluster centred on Kampung Mongkos in Tebedu.

SDMC said the index case of the cluster is Case 23,792, identified through symptomatic screening at a clinic in Kuching on April 17.

The committee said the index case is working as a chef in a restaurant at a shopping mall and got infected with Covid-19 from the community in Kuching before bringing the coronavirus back to Kampung Mongkos in Tebedu.

Subsequently, active case detection was carried out in the village and 13 more infections were detected.

So far, a total of 70 individuals have been screened for Covid-19, with 14 individuals testing positive including the index case, 37 individuals testing negative and 19 individuals awaiting Covid-19 swab test results.

SDMC said the 14 individuals who tested positive for Covid-19 have been admitted to low risk quarantine and treatment centres in Serian for further treatment.

Meanwhile, two new Covid-19 clusters were reported today, comprising the Mongkos Cluster and the Bungey Cluster in Betong.

This brings the total number of active Covid-19 clusters in Sarawak to 78.

From this, 19 clusters registered 145 new cases today. — DayakDaily