By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 6: Three new Covid-19 cases were reported in Sarawak with one local transmission in Sibu and two domestically imported cases in Kuching and Miri respectively today.
As such, State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said that this brings the state’s tally of positive cases to 721.
Case 719, categorised under Case Import B for transmission detected within the country, involved a local man who went through Covid-19 screening at the Kuching International Airport (KIA) upon arrival from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah on Oct 2.
“His result returned positive on Oct 5. The man was ordered to observe home quarantine upon his return while waiting for the results.
“The case had been tested on Aug 29 at KIA upon returning from Sabah but the result was negative. He had also travelled to Sabah and returned to Kuching on Aug 12. No screening was done at that time,” he told a press conference to give updates on the Covid-19 situation in Sarawak here today.
The case, he added, regularly travelled by airplane to visit family members as well as for business.
He was asymptomatic and is now isolated and being treated at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). Further investigation and contact tracing activities are being carried out.
As for Case 720, also Case Import B, Uggah said it involved a local woman who arrived at Miri Airport from Selangor via Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Oct 3.
“She was also a regular flyer from Kuala Lumpur as she worked in a private clinic in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. She stays in Petaling Jaya but often flew home to Sarawak for holidays,” he revealed.
She took a swab test upon arrival in Miri Airport on Oct 3 and the result returned positive the next day. The case had complained about a fever since Oct 1 and is now isolated and being treated in Miri Hospital.
Case 721 is a locally transmitted case linked to Case 714 with exposure likely to have taken place between Sept 30 and Oct 2. The local woman was screened on Oct 3 and the result returned positive on Oct 5.
“The case was ordered to undergo home quarantine after being screened. She has no history of travelling outside the country or returning from Sabah in the past month.
“She did not show any symptoms and is now isolated and being treated in Sibu Hospital,” he explained.
With these new three patients today, Uggah revealed that there are a total of 19 patients receiving treatment in hospitals in the state currently, with nine in SGH, six in Miri Hospital, three in Sibu Hospital and one in Bintulu Hospital.
“Sibu, Kuching and Lawas maintained as Covid-19 yellow zones in Sarawak as there were three local cases in Lawas and one local case in Kuching recorded within the past 14 days. Sibu saw one more local case to make two cases,” he said.
Meanwhile, there were no new recoveries and discharges reported today and as such, the total number of recovered cases in Sarawak stands at 683 or 94.73 per cent of total positive cases detected so far.
Sarawak also recorded five more Persons-Under-Investigation (PUI) with one case pending laboratory test results.
There are also 219 more Persons-Under-Surveillance (PUS) checked into identified hotels to undergo quarantines.
As of today, there are a total number of 1,543 individuals undergoing quarantine in 15 hotels throughout the state. — DayakDaily
