KUCHING, July 26: The Sarawak State Health Department (JKNS) is urging all parties to work together to break the chain of infection of Covid-19, as there has been an increase of 437 new cases compared to 367 cases recorded in the previous week.
According to a press release issued today by State Health director Dr Ooi Choo Huck, as of July 26, a total of 57,008 cases of Covid-19 had been reported throughout the year 2022, bringing the cumulative number of cases of Covid-19 in Sarawak to 309,308 cases.
He did note, however, that the majority of new Covid-19 cases are in categories 1 and 2, and do not necessitate hospitalisation.
“JKNS monitoring also discovered that the utilisation rate of ICU beds remains satisfactory, at 2.9 percent of the total number of ICU beds on July 24.
“However, the number of Covid-19-related deaths in Sarawak increased, with a total of eight deaths from July 1 to July 25, compared to only three deaths in June,” he pointed out.
Dr Ooi went on to say that JKNS advises the public to wear a face mask when entering premises and in crowded areas, as well as to maintain physical distancing at all times.
In addition, he noted individuals with symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing to self-screen or visit a health care facility, and if positive, to follow the isolation instructions recommended by the Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia.
Furthermore, he stated that the public is encouraged to visit any nearby health facility if they notice any warning signs or have any questions, and that high-risk individuals, such as the elderly, frontline workers, or individuals with comorbidities, who have received the first booster dose, are encouraged to receive a second booster dose six months later.
“JKNS is constantly monitoring the trend of new Covid-19 cases in Sarawak and is taking the following precautions.
“At all times, all government health facilities in Sarawak are ready to provide treatment and assistance to the public, and ensure that the Low Risk Covid-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centres (PKRC) in each division is ready to go in the event of an increase in cases,” he disclosed.
Dr Ooi continued stating that JKNS also provides the Paxlovid drug to people who are at high risk of contracting a severe Covid-19 infection at the Covid-19 Assessment Centre (CAC), as well as selected government health clinics and hospitals.
He remarked that high-risk groups, such as patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney problems, asthma, chronic lung disease, heart disease, and cancer, are encouraged to come forward for a health assessment as soon as possible.
Moreover, he explained that the list of CACs at health clinics and government hospitals that provide Paxlovid medicine will be updated on a regular basis on the website https://covid19.moh.gov.my. — DayakDaily
