Bernama file photo shows a health worker conducting a Covid-19 swab test.
KUCHING (Aug 16): Sarawak today set a new record with 1,566 new Covid-19 cases, surpassing the previous high of 1,216 cases reported just four days ago, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
It said in its Covid-19 daily update that the state also reported one death case with the death toll now standing at 487.
A total of 23 districts recorded new cases where Kuching yet again topped the list with a whopping 731 cases followed by Bau and Lundu with 238 and 175 respectively.
“There were 11 districts which reported two-digit cases namely Serian (84), Samarahan (44), Betong (40), Sibu (37), Miri (34), Bintulu (29), Subis (29), Song (27), Mukah (19), Sri Aman (17), and Asajaya (12).
“The rest of the cases were registered in Selangau (9), Tebedu (8), Pusa (7), Lubok Antu (6), Dalat (6), Tatau (6), Saratok (5), Beluru (2) and Lawas (1),” said the committee.
The latest cases brought the state’s total number of infections to 88,572.
SDMC said the new cases today consisted of 904 cases which were detected from screenings of individuals with contact to positive cases; 312 from screenings of individuals from existing active clusters; 203 from other screenings at health facilities; and 143 from screenings of symptomatic individuals at health facilities.
“There were also two Import A cases involving individuals who had returned from Myanmar and two Import B cases where the individuals returned or entered Sarawak from Sabah,” it added.
On the sole death case, it said the victim was a 73-year-old man from Serian who had tested positive on August 5.
“The victim, who had a history of stroke, died at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH),” it added.
Meanwhile, a total of 513 recovered Covid-19 patients have been discharged from hospitals and quarantine and low-risk patients treatment centres (PKRC) across the state.
The committee said 278 were discharged from SGH and PKRC under SGH; 61 from PKRC Unimas; 54 from PKRC Serian; 37 from Bintulu Hospital and the PKRC under Bintulu Hospital; 26 from Sibu Hospital and the PKRC under Sibu Hospital; 24 from PKRC Betong; 16 from Miri Hospital and PKRC under Miri Hospital; six from Kapit Hospital and the PKRC under Kapit Hospital; four from PKRC Mukah; four from Sarikei Hospital and the PKRC under Sarikei Hospital; two from PKRC Lawas; and one from Sri Aman Hospital and PKRC under Sri Aman Hospital.
“The total number of recoveries in the state have now increased to 78,557 or 88.69 per cent out of the overall cases,” said the committee.
It also said that 9,345 patients were still warded and under medical supervision at hospitals and PKRCs throughout the state, where 5,446 were being treated at SGH and PKRC Kuching; 1,155 at PKRC Serian; 816 at PKRC Unimas; 440 at Miri Hospital and PKRC Miri; 403 at Sibu Hospital and PKRC Sibu; 332 at Bintulu Hospital and PKRC Bintulu; 235 at PKRC Mukah; 229 at PKRC Betong; 196 at Sri Aman Hospital; 63 at Kapit Hospital and PKRC Kapit; 18 at Sarikei Hospital and PKRC Sarikei; and 12 at PKRC Lawas.