By Karen Bong
KUCHING, July 23: Sarawak topped the list of states in Malaysia with the highest number of Covid-19 Delta variant cases at 93 out of 189 cases reported in Malaysia as of July 22, with cases also detected in several active clusters namely Sentosa 2, Salak Land, Sungai Bedil Besar, Duyoh, Tembok Sri Aman 2 and Pagar Serian.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) revealed this in a report today following the results of the ongoing tracking and surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants conducted by University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Institute of Health and Community Medicie (IHCM) led by its director Prof Dr David Perera.
The report indicated that there were 92 locally acquired Delta cases and one imported Delta case detected in Sarawak as of July 22.
Among the active clusters in Kuching detected with the Delta variant were the Sentosa 2 Cluster (10), Salak Land Cluster (3) and Sungai Bedil Besar Cluster (2).
The Delta variant also emerged in Tembok Sri Aman 2 Cluster in Sri Aman (5), Pagar Serian Cluster in Serian (4) and Duyoh Cluster in Bau (1).
“The Unimas IHCM has identified as many as 119 cases of new SAR-CoV-2 variants. All of the 119 cases are from the Variant of Concern (VOC).
“106 Delta variant cases (B.1.617.2); 10 Beta variant cases (B.1.351); and three Alpha variant cases (B.1.1.7),” MOH stated in a report posted on its Facebook page today.
On July 8, Sarawak reported the first Delta variant case in Kuching involving an imported case who is a 56-year-old man and tested positive on June 18 upon returning from other states.
Thereafter on July 13, IHCM informed that 16 more Delta variant cases were identified, all in Kuching, in the study period as of July 4.
A week later on July 21, IHCM disclosed a shocking additional 76 Delta variant cases were found in Sarawak between June 7 and July 13, with 52 cases were in Kuching alone.
The cases were identified among the samples taken from Sentosa Hospital, Satok Police Station and multiple other locations in Kuching.
Apart from Kuching, the Delta variant was also found in Serian which reported 11 cases, Samarahan (3 cases), Sri Aman (5 cases) and one case each in Sibu (involving an illegal immigrant from Indonesia), Miri and Betong.
Apart from Sarawak, other states in Malaysia which recorded the Delta variant cases include Pahang (18), Selangor (17), Labuan (14), Kuala Lumpur (11), Johor (9), Negeri Sembilan (7), Melaka (5), Kedah (4), Sabah (3), Perlis (2), and one each in Kelantan, Perak, Penang and Terengganu.
Meanwhile, MOH also reported today that there were a total of 44 locally acquired Beta variant cases and one imported Beta case found in Sarawak, apart from 12 locally acquired Theta variant cases and one imported Eta variant case.
Among the clusters, which have already ended, detected with the Beta variant were Block D Jalan Pending in Kuching (6 cases), Stapok Resettlement Scheme in Kuching (6 cases) and Jalan Jambusan in Bau (4 cases).
As for the Theta variant, eight cases were detected in Kampung Baru Hilir Cluster in Samarahan which has also ended.— DayakDaily
