The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said the Citrawarna Cluster stemmed from a local man who was found positive during a screening for symptomatic individuals at a private hospital here on February 27. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
KUCHING, March 9 — The Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia 2022 event last month has sparked a new community cluster here with 21 positive cases detected thus far.
The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said the Citrawarna Cluster stemmed from a local man who was found positive during a screening for symptomatic individuals at a private hospital here on February 27.
“This cluster involves cases which have been directly involved with the Citrawarna Keluarga Malaysia 2022 event which was held for four days from February 24 and attended by an estimated 50,000 people at Kuching Waterfront.
“The spread of the infection is believed to have stemmed from close association and contact from those who have attended the event and this has infected up to the second generation,” SDMC said in its Covid-19 daily update.
Out of 59 individuals involved in the cluster screened, 21 including the index case were tested positive for Covid-19 and six more still waiting for their lab test results.
“There are also 24 other positive cases (not from this cluster) that have been reported who had a history of attending the Citrawarna event,” the committee added.
In this regard, SDMC advised individuals who had attended the Citrawarna event between February 24 and 27 to monitor and test themselves should they experience any Covid-19 symptoms.
“The public are also advised not to attend large group activities where standard operating procedures (SOPs) are difficult to adhere to, particularly if they have symptoms or have tested positive.
“All individuals should play their part and undergo self-testing if they have symptoms, or before participating in activities that involve many people or high-risk groups,” SDMC said.
Meanwhile, new Covid-19 infections in Sarawak dropped slightly to 1,727 today compared to 1,903 yesterday, bringing the state’s cumulative number of cases to 272,142.
The latest cases were reported in 38 districts with Kuching reporting 584 new infections, a drop from yesterday’s 754 cases.
Four districts had also reported three-digit cases namely Miri (281), Sibu (193), Bintulu (115), and Samarahan (100).
This was followed by Serian with 68 cases, Bau (54), Sarikei (47), Limbang (33), Kanowit (27), Sri Aman (21), Lawas (21), Mukah (20), Matu (20), Kabong (12), Dalat (12), Betong (11), Saratok (10), Marudi (10), Daro (10), Subis (9), Belaga (8), Asajaya (7), Kapit (6), Lundu (5), Meradong (5), Pakan (4), Julau (4), Tebedu (4), Sebauh (4), Tatau (4), Simunjan (3), Song (3), Selangau (3), Pusa (3), Telang Usan (3), Lubok Antu (2), and Beluru (1).
SDMC said 663 cases were asymptomatic, 11,051 mild symptoms, 12 Category 4 involving patients with pneumonia requiring oxygen support while one was a Category 5 with the patient having pneumonia requiring ventilator support.
The committee also said that the state’s Covid-19 death toll had increased to 1,636 following two fatalities including one that was a brought-in-dead (BID) case.
The BID case involved a 60-year-old woman from Mukah with a history of hypertension, diabetes and cancer. Her body was brought to Mukah Hospital on March 8.
The other death case was reported in Kapit involving a 72-year-old man from the district with a history of hypertension, dyslipidemia and chronic kidney disease. He died on March 7 in the Kapit Hospital. — Borneo Post Online