A health worker conducts a Covid-19 swab test. — Bernama photo
KUCHING (June 16): A funeral ceremony at a longhouse has sparked one of the three new Covid-19 clusters declared in Sarawak, according to a statement by Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today.
Named by State Health Department as the Gran Stumbin Cluster after the locality in Sri Aman, this cluster has so far recorded 82 positive cases including the index case after 620 persons were screened.
It also revealed that one fatality had already been recorded under this cluster.
A total 124 others who were screened had tested negative while 414 others were still waiting for laboratory test results.
“Gran Stumbin Cluster is a community cluster involving few longhouses in Gran Stumbin, Tanjung Bijat which was caused by social movement and close contacts among the people after a funeral ceremony on June 6,” said SDMC in its Covid-19 update today.
It added all the positive cases are now either at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) in Kuching, Sri Aman Hospital and the Covid-19 Low Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRC) for Sri Aman.
“The close contacts of the positive cases have been issued with quarantine notice and admitted to a quarantine centre in Sri Aman,” it said.
SDMC disclosed that the other two new clusters declared by State Health Department are in Bintulu and idenfied as Jalan Tanjung Kidurong 3 Cluster and Jalan Bintulu – Tatau Cluster.
On the Jalan Tanjung Kidurong 3 Cluster, SDMC said it is a workplace cluster involving the workers quarters of a transportation company at Jalan Kidurong.
It added that so far a total 102 individuals have been screened of which 33 including the index case were tested positive while 69 others were still waiting for laboratory test results.
All the positive cases have been admitted to Bintulu Hospital and the PKRC for Bintulu for isolation and treatment.
“This locality has also been put under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO),” it said.
On the Jalan Bintulu – Tatau Cluster, SDMC said it is a cluster community involving a longhouse. So far, a total 151 individuals have been screened of which 24 were tested positive, 82 negative and 45 others still waiting for test results.
The locality has also been put under EMCO, while those positive cases have been admitted to Bintulu Hospital and the PKRC for Bintulu for isolation and treatment.
On a related matter, SDMC also announced that Rayang Cluster in Serian has been declared to have ended after no new cases were detected and reported in the past 28 days.
This means there are now 88 active Covid-19 clusters in Sarawak including the three new ones declared today.
“A total 10 of these clusters recorded a total 40 new cases for today, while the other 78 clusters did not see increase in cases for this day,” said SDMC.