Medical personnel carrying out a Covid-19 screening. – File photo
KUCHING (May 5): Two new Covid-19 workplace clusters in Sibu and Sarikei have been declared by the State Health Department with 32 and 18 positive cases detected respectively thus far, the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said.
It said the cluster in Sibu, dubbed Tanjong Kibong Cluster, involved a shipping maintenance and support company in Tanjong Kibong; while the cluster in Sarikei, Jalan Sawit Cluster, occurred at the hostel of a construction company involved in the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway at Jalan Sawit, Jakar.
SDMC said the index case in the cluster in Sibu was a 35-year-old Sabahan man who was detected through symptomatic screening at a private health clinic on April 15 and was referred to Sibu Hospital before being confirmed positive for Covid-19 on April 16.
“The case, who works as a technician at the company, had gotten infected from the community in Sibu district. The spread of infection was also detected among his housemates and colleagues,” it said in its Covid-19 daily update.
It said screenings of close contacts of the index case found a further 31 positive cases, adding that they have been referred to Sibu Hospital and its the quarantine and low-risk patients treatment centre (PKRC).
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In the Jalan Sawit Cluster, the index case is a 28-year-old man who was detected through symptomatic screening at a private health clinic in Sarikei on April 26.
“He was found to be reactive to the RTK Antigen Test and was referred to Sarikei Hospital before he was confirmed Covid-19 positive on April 28 through the RT-PCR Test,” SDMC said.
It said the index case, who works as a surveyor at the construction site, was infected by the community in Sarikei district. The infection has since spread to his family members, hostel mates and colleagues.
It said further investigation and screening of close contacts found another 17 positive cases.
“Five individuals tested negative and another 69 are pending lab test results,” it said, adding that all positive cases have been admitted to Sarikei Hospital and PKRC Sarikei.
Meanwhile, SDMC said four clusters in the state ended today as they had no new infections in the past 28 days.
They areJalan Muhibah Cluster in Betong; Jalan Kampung Hilir Cluster in Sibu; Batu Gong Cluster in Serian; and Taman Vistagro Cluster in Sri Aman.
It also said that 76 Covid-19 clusters remained active with 19 recording an increase of 93 new positive cases.
The Sungai Duan Cluster in Mukah had the most new cases at 23, followed by the Putai Cluster in Bukit Mabong with 11.
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