By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Mar 31: Sarawak has recorded one Covid-19 death today (March 31), involving a 40-year-old lecturer from a public university in Kota Samarahan.
The State Disaster Management Committee informed that the lecturer passed away at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian pointed out that Sarawak now has a few new clusters besides the five that the Health Department has established.
“As for the two deaths yesterday (March 30), it involved a 47-year-old man from Kuching and 41-year-old woman from Miri and is still being investigated,” he briefed a press conference today.
Meanwhile, Sarawak also registered 21 positive cases today with 20 patients warded at SGH and one at Sibu Hospital, bringing the total number of positive cases to 156.
Dr Sim said that the public healthcare facilities here have increased its capacity to carry out Polymerase Chain Reaction or (PCR) testing for Covid-19 which explained more positive cases detected.
“University Sarawak Malaysia (Unimas) is now helping the SGH with this PCR testing. Sibu Hospital since last night has begun to do its PCR testing.
“We are now in the process of getting the Miri and Bintulu Hospitals to develop their capacity in doing similar testing,” he added.
Dr Sim urged more people who have either been in close or casual contact with anyone from all Covid-19 clusters as well as those who had travelled to the infected countries in mid-February this year to come forward to do screening.
“Please do not wait, as it may cost you your life or that of your family, relatives and others as well as our fellow Sarawakians,” he appealed.
In addition, Sarawak also recorded 46 new patient-under-investigation (PUI) cases today.
“Since yesterday (March 30), 93 patients are still in our various hospitals with nine in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of which eight were in SGH and one in Sibu Hospital.
“However, 14 patients with nine from SGH, four from Sibu Hospital and one from Miri Hospital have been discharged,” he added. —DayakDaily
