KUCHING, Aug 3 — Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today said only one construction worker was tested positive for Covid-19 from among the samples taken by the state Health Department at 148 sites in the state in the past weeks.

Its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said the samples were taken from 974 Malaysians and 367 documented migrant workers.

He said the positive case was detected at a construction site in Samarahan Division when the department conducted surveillance on the site.

"However, 1,267 other samples had tested negative and the test results from 73 other samples are still pending,” he said in a media statement.

Uggah, who is also the deputy chief minister, said the Health Department has also taken 273 samples from 23 plantations workers in Lundu, Sri Aman and Betong.

He added that 148 samples were taken from Malaysians while another 125 from documented migrant workers.

"Out of 273 samples, 230 of them were negative for the virus while the results on 43 others are pending,” he added.

On inter-zone travel restrictions imposed on August 1 to curb the spread of Covid-19, Uggah said the police have permitted 1,788 motorists to proceed with their journey while 46 others were asked to return back as they have no police permits.

Meanwhile, Sarawak recorded zero new Covid-19 case today and five recoveries today.