By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Feb 4: Laboratory testing for novel coronavirus is now being carried out at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) since yesterday (Feb 3) while Public Health College at Kota Sentosa here has been made the quarantine centre as Sarawak government steps up efforts to protect the state against the deadly virus.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas informed that samples would not be sent to Kuala Lumpur (KL) unless necessary in order to speed up in results delivering.
“We also hope to acquire the necessary facility to enable tests be done in Sibu and Miri. But for now, all samples collected from Sarawak currently will be sent to SGH to get the results faster.
“We are getting more test kits to also be supplied to Sibu and Miri,” he told a press conference after chairing a meeting on the latest development of the virus situation in Sarawak at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here today.
State Health Department senior deputy director (Communicable Disease Control Section) Dr Ho Ai Chia added that with the test kits, results can be obtained from 24 and 48 hours which was definitely faster than sending to KL.
From Jan 10 to Feb 3, Uggah, who is also State Disaster Management Committee chairman, informed that there were 32 suspected cases in Sarawak with eight cases pending lab tests while 24 cases had tested negative.
“Of the eight cases, seven were Malaysians and one Chinese national. Six of them including the foreigner were in SGH, one in Bintulu Hospital, and one in Miri Hospital,” he said.
Dr Ho added that some cases had been to China while some had been exposed or had close contact with suspected cases.
As for the quarantine centre, Uggah explained the facility was prepared in case needed for a large group of people or suspected cases but those sick will be quarantined in hospitals.
“We will also look into the mechanism to conduct random checks on those undergoing self-quarantine at home.
“We strongly advise Sarawakians who have come back from visiting China, as well as those with passes, to enter into self-quarantine at home. We will monitor them,” he added.
He said that the state government will purchase two thermal scanners for Bintulu and Sibu as well as thermal guns to equip Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complexes in surveillance and monitoring for land entry points into Sarawak.
As Sarawak has imposed entry restrictions on Chinese and foreign nationals who have visited China, he said that between Feb 1 and 2, 13 Chinese nationals, one Indonesian and two from Hong Kong had been refused entry.
Sarawak Immigration director Datuk Ken Leben informed that all foreign visitors had been sent on the next available flight to their respective last point of disembarkation.
On federal government’s mission to evacuate Malaysians from Wuhan, China, Uggah said: “We will get official confirmation if there are Sarawakians on the flight.”
Uggah emphasised that these were measures and steps taken to protect Sarawak against the coronavirus and advised public to observed the list of do’s and don’ts which have been issued by the Sarawak Health Department. —DayakDaily
