By Karen Bong
KUCHING, May 8: Covid-19 reinfections have occurred in a few longhouses located in Central Sarawak, with about 20 per cent of the cases involving children below 12 years of age who were asymptomatic.
Highlighting this, Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian pointed out that due to the movement of people, Covid-19 cases in Central Sarawak have been moving back and forth between urban areas and longhouses in the rural areas.
“However, the peak of the current Covid-19 wave affects mostly those between 20 to 40-years-old,” he shared in a Facebook post last night.
Giving special attention to the Covid-19 fatalities in the State, Dr Sim, who is also State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor, revealed that Sarawak’s death toll would soon breach the 300 mark if taken into account the 72 non-Covid-19 death cases.
“In fact, taking (into account) the other 72 Sarawakians who were Covid-19 positive but were classified by medical experts and KKM (Ministry of Health) to have died of other causes, we will approach 300 soon,” he said.
He expressed sadness that another six people have passed away due to Covid-19 as reported by SDMC in its daily update report on Covid-19 situation in Sarawak yesterday (May 7) as the State’s death toll officially breached the 200 mark.
“It is tremendously challenging for everyone all over the world (to deal and tackle) Covid-19.
“All of us are tired, exhausted, suffering tremendously, (faced) hardships, frustrated, mentally and emotionally stressed out. Yet, (there is) no magic solution,” he added.
Even though vaccines have been rolled out, Dr Sim emphasised that it will not end Covid-19 but at least those who have been vaccinated could have better protection with more antibodies against Covid-19 and lowering their chances of an infection, severe symptoms and fatality.
Sarawak, he continued, is expecting to receive more than one million doses of vaccines in June and another one million in July to boost the State Covid-19 Vaccination programme with the aim to administer 80,000 shots per day. — DayakDaily
