By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, March 14: Covid-19 cases in Bintulu surged past reported cases in Miri even as the number of coronavirus cases across the state declined overall to 178 as compared to 222 yesterday.
There was also a new Covid-19 fatality, bringing the state’s death toll due to Covid-19 to 90.
According to a press statement from the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC), Bintulu reported 35 cases today making it the district with the highest number of new infections today. Miri which saw the highest number of cases yesterday with 57 came in second today with 32 cases.
In Bintulu, 24 out of the 35 cases were identified via active contact tracing. There were five imported cases which involved four citizens returning from Japan and one Filipino from China.
There were also five cases identified via screening and one case which was detected via symptomatic screening at Bintulu healthcare facilities.
SDMC said other districts which reported new Covid-19 cases today include Sibu (27), Song (23), Kuching (21), Kapit (18), Meradong (4), Sri Aman (4), Kanowit (3), Lawas (2), Samarahan (2), Betong (1), Julau (1), Mukah (1), Pusa (1), Sebauh (1), Serian (1) and Tatau.
Meanwhile, the new cases today increased the cumulative number of cases in the state to 12,451.
Elaborating further, SDMC said most of the cases were asymptomatic while 134 cases out of the 178 cases reported were individuals who were close contacts to Covid-19 positive cases and were being quarantined.
The single fatality today occurred in in Sibu, involving a 61-year-old man who had comorbidities including diabetes and nose cancer.
SDMC revealed the man tested positive for Covid-19 on February 23 and passed away on March 14 after his health deteriorated.
Meanwhile, SDMC said there were 172 Covid-19 patients who recovered and were allowed to be discharged from various hospitals.
A total of 2,328 Covid-19 patients are still being treated in health facilities and low-risk quarantine centres across the state.
There were also 178 new Person-Under-Investigation (PUI) cases reported with no pending results for Covid-19 swab test. — DayakDaily
