The index case was a 34-year-old non-Malaysian male detainee who was tested positive during a screening on March 7 for the purpose of attending a court proceeding. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
SIBU, March 10 — An Immigration detention centre in Serian has sparked the latest Covid-19 cluster in Sarawak, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
In its daily update on the pandemic today, SDMC said 19 positive cases have been detected from this cluster dubbed the DTI Semuja 3 Cluster.
Of the 19 positive cases, 14 were newly reported today.
The index case was a 34-year-old non-Malaysian male detainee who was tested positive during a screening on March 7 for the purpose of attending a court proceeding.
The infection was believed to have spread due to close association and contact among the detainees and staff at the detention depot, said the committee.
A total of 295 individuals involved in the cluster were screened, in which 228 were tested negative for Covid-19 and another 48 individuals were still waiting for their test results.
Meanwhile, the number of new cases in Sarawak today went up to 1,963 from 1,727 yesterday, bringing the state’s cumulative number of cases to 274,105.
SDMC said 764 of the new cases were in Category 1 (asymptomatic) while 1,178 were in Category 2 (mild symptoms).
Six were in Category 3 involving patients with pneumonia, nine cases in Category 4 involving patients with pneumonia and requiring oxygen support, and six were in Category 5 involving patients with pneumonia and requiring ventilator support.
On the breakdown of new cases, Kuching remained on top with 699 new cases followed by Miri (303), Sibu (177), Bintulu (148), Serian (101), Samarahan (71), Sri Aman (53), Bau (52), Sarikei (48), Tanjung Manis (40), Lubok Antu (36), Limbang (26), 14 cases each in Pakan, Dalat and Daro, 13 cases each for Mukah, Betong, Simunjan, Marudi, Saratok, and Kanowit, 12 cases each in Kabong and Matu, Lawas (10), Pusa (9), Meradong (8), Subis (7), Kapit (6), Lundu (5), Beluru (4), three cases each in Asajaya and Julau, two cases each in Sebauh, Tatau and Telang Usan, and one case each in Belaga, Song, Tebedu and Selangau.
Bukit Mabong is the only district in Sarawak that did not report any new Covid-19 cases today.
SDMC also revealed that the state police have issued seven compounds for standard operating procedures (SOP) violations today, all in Kuching, for failing to scan the MySejahtera QR code when entering a premises.
All in all the police have issued a total of 13,555 SOP compounds in Sarawak.
SDMC also recorded 35 new person-under-surveillance (PUS) cases today, making it a total of 305 being quarantined throughout the state to date. — Borneo Post Online
* A previous version of this story contained an error which has since been corrected.