A health worker conducting a Covid-19 swab test. – Bernama file photo
KUCHING (Aug 18): Kuching continued to top the list of new Covid-19 cases in the state with 557 cases out of the total 1,403 recorded today, said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
In addition, the state recorded two deaths from Covid-19 today, each in Sibu and Kuching.
In Sibu, the death involved a 71-year-old man who was found positive on July 8 and passed away at Sibu Hospital. He had comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes, gout and stroke.
In Kuching, the death was an 88-year-old woman who was found positive on August 7 and passed away at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). She had hypertension.
These brought the Covid-19 death toll in the state to 491 to date, while the cumulative total of positive cases is now 90,810.
SDMC said other districts that recorded three-digit new cases were Serian with 247 and Samarahan with 228.
Districts that recorded two-digit new cases were Bau (99), Tebedu (49), Sibu (34), Pusa (33), Bintulu (25), Lundu (22), Sri Aman (22), Simunjan 20, Selangau (16), and Tatau (11).
Districts that recorded one-digit figure were Mukah (8), Subis (6), Betong (5), four each in Miri, Sebauh and Beluru, Asajaya (3), and two each in Kabong, Kapit and Lubok Antu.
The remaining 17 districts did not record any new case for the day.
SDMC said 884 of the new cases were detected from screenings of individuals with contact to positive cases; 113 from screenings of individuals from existing active clusters; 130 from screenings of symptomatic individuals at health facilities; and 271 from other screenings at health facilities.
There were also five imported cases involving individuals who returned from other states, namely two from Sabah, and one each from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Perak.
A total of 1,159 cases were asymptomatic, which accounts for 82.61 per cent of the cases today, SDMC added.
Meanwhile, the committee said 1,063 cases have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals, and quarantine and low-risk patients treatment centres (PKRC) across the state.
Out of the number, 461 were discharged from Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) and Kuching PKRC, Miri Hospital and PKRC (179), Serian PKRC (160), Unimas PKRC (79), Mukah PKRC (53), Sri Aman Hospital and PKRC (53), Sibu Hospital and PKRC (33), Bintulu Hospital and PKRC (31), Betong PKRC (8), Sarikei Hospital and PKRC (4), and Kapit Hospital and PKRC (2).
The total number of recoveries in the state have now increased to 80,198 or 88.31 per cent out of the overall cases, the committee added.
There were still 9,936 active cases still warded and under medical supervision at hospitals and PKRC throughout the state, with 35 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 13 on intubation.
At the same time, 438 person-under-surveillance (PUS) cases have checked into designated quarantine centres for their compulsory quarantine today, making it a total of 5,165 cases being quarantined in 100 hotels and non-hotel quarantine centres statewide.