By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Dec 30: Sarawak reported one imported case of Covid-19 in the Meradong district, Sarikei today.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in a press statement said the patient is a local who returned from Kuala Lumpur through Sibu Airport on December 19.
The committee noted that the patient had undergone the Covid-19 swab test at a private laboratory in SC Medan Tunku, Kuala Lumpur on December 15 prior to his return and was tested negative.
Upon his arrival at Sibu Airport on December 19, the patient was given a home surveillance order (HSO) for 14 days self-quarantine at his home at Sg. Mador Meradong as well as attached with a wristband.
SDMC said the patient underwent another Covid-19 swab test on December 28 at a clinic in Meradong on the eighth day upon his return and his rapid test kit polymerase chain reaction (rT-PCR) test results have confirmed that he was positive for Covid-19 on December 29.
The committee said the patient acknowledged that he did not go out of his house but had dinner with family members.
It was noted that there were a few visitors from longhouses who went to his house for visitation during Christmas Day.
SDMC said the patient was asymptomatic and was admitted to Sibu Hospital for further medical treatment.
The case has been classified as a domestic imported case from Kuala Lumpur.
SDMC revealed that the close contacts and family members of the patient have been admitted to the quarantine centre for Covid-19 screenings and isolation purposes.
With the additional case, the committee said the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in Sarawak has increased to 1,115 cases.
There were four patients who recovered and were allowed to be discharged from the hospitals.
At present, there were 26 patients who were still being treated for Covid-19 in health facilities across Sarawak.
Out of the 26 patients, 12 patients were being treated at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), five patients in Miri Hospital, five patients at Bintulu Hospital and four patients in Sibu Hospital.
There was one new case of Person-Under-Investigation (PUI) and none awaiting laboratory test results.
There were also 165 new Person-Under-Surveillance (PUS) who registered into hotels and quarantine centres today to undergo the mandatory quarantine.
At the moment, there was 3,320 PUS who were undergoing quarantine at 41 hotels and quarantine centres throughout Sarawak.
A total of 46,247 PUS have completed their mandatory quarantine period today. —DayakDaily
