KUCHING, Dec 25: An Indonesian man who was arrested by authorities while attempting to enter Sarawak via “jalan tikus” in Lundu was among three new imported Covid-19 cases reported in Sarawak today.
With two cases detected in Kuching and Miri, this thus increased the state’s tally of positive cases to 1,099.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in a media release today, revealed that the illegal immigrant, Case 1,098, was detained on Dec 23 and screened on Dec 24. He subsequently tested positive for Covid-19.
The case was asymptomatic and is now being isolated and treated at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). Further investigation and contact tracing are currently underway.
In Miri, Case 1,097 involved a Thai national offshore worker about to sign-on duty on a vessel. He tested positive after he underwent Covid-19 screening upon arrival in the state via Kuala Lumpur on Dec 21.
He had taken an RT-PCR test at a private healthcare facility in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 19 but the result was negative. Upon arrival at Miri Airport, he was ordered to observe compulsory quarantine at a centre in Miri city.
On Dec 23, he was screened and the result returned positive. He was asymptomatic and is currently being isolated and treated at Miri Hospital. Contact tracing is actively being carried out.
Case 1,099 which was reported in Kuching involved a Bangladeshi man who underwent screening after returning from Kuala Lumpur on Dec 24.
Upon arrival at Kuching International Airport (KIA), he was ordered to observe compulsory quarantine at a centre in the city and his first RT-PCR test on the same day returned positive.
The case also did not show any symptoms and is now being isolated and treated at SGH. Contact tracing is currently underway.
Meanwhile, there was no recovery recorded today and thus, the total number of recovered cases in Sarawak stands at 1,061 or 96.54 per cent of total positive cases so far.
With the additional three cases, a total of 19 patients are still receiving treatment in hospitals in the state with 11 in SGH, three in Sibu Hospital and five in Miri Hospital.
Kuching and Sibu remain as Covid-19 yellow zones with a total of three local cases reported in the past 14 days.
There were four more Persons-Under-Investigation (PUI) reported with two cases pending laboratory test results.
SDMC also disclosed that 344 more Persons-Under-Surveillance (PUS) have registered into identified hotels to undergo quarantine.
As of today, there are a total of 3,789 individuals undergoing quarantine in 42 hotels and quarantine facilities throughout the state. — DayakDaily
