Covid-19: Three new cases in Sarawak today, Kuching District back to yellow zone, says SDMC

KUCHING, Dec 20 — Sarawak recorded three new positive Covid-19 cases today consisting of one locally transmitted case and two imported cases, said the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).

It said the locally transmitted case was recorded in Kuching, resulting in the district now classified as a yellow zone.

“Kuching and Lubok Antu also recorded a new Covid-19 imported case each.

“This brings the total number of positive cases in the state to 1,090 cases,” it said in a statement today.

For the locally transmitted case, SDMC said it involved a Sarawakian man who went for Covid-19 screening at a private medical facility for the purpose of accompanying his pregnant wife who was about to give birth.

“Case 1,089 had taken the test on Dec 19 and the result that returned on the same day was positive.

“This case has no history of travelling abroad or to high risk Covid-19 infection areas in the last 14 days. He also did not have contact with any positive Covid-19 cases,” it said.

It added that the patient, who is asymptomatic, has been referred to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) for further treatment and further investigation and contact tracing for this case is underway.

On the imported case recorded in Kuching, the committee said Case 1,090 involved a Swedish man who went for Covid-19 screening as an individual who had just returned from overseas.

“The case underwent the first RT-PCR test upon arrival and the results at the time turned up negative.

“He then took the test again on Dec 19 and the results that came back the same day was found to be positive,” it said, adding that the patient is asymptomatic and has since been referred to SGH for further treatment.

It also said tracing of all close contacts to Case 1,090 is in full swing and that this case has been categorised as Import A as he was infected in another country.

For the imported case in Lubok Antu, Case 1,088 involved an Indonesian woman who underwent Covid-19 screening after she was detained by authorities at the Ensawang Border, said SDMC.

It said this case is suspected of entering Sarawak illegally using an illegal trail (‘jalan tikus’) in Tebedu on Nov 30.

“The history of the case’s movement in Sarawak showed that she has a history of traveling to Mukah and Sibu before arriving in Lubok Antu on Dec 17 to cross the Ensawang Border where she was later detained.

“After she was arrested, the case was placed at the Lubok Antu District Police Headquarters,” it said.

It pointed out that Case 1,088 underwent the Covid-19 screening on Dec 18 and the test results on Dec 19 found the case to be positive of the infectious disease.

“This case is also asymptomatic and has been referred to SGH for further treatment.

“Further investigation and contact tracing are now in full swing,” it said, noting that this case has been categorised as Import A as she was infected from abroad.

Meanwhile, SDMC said a recovered Covid-19 patient was allowed to be discharged from Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) today.

“This brings the total number of recoveries in the state to 1,053 or 96.61 per cent out of the overall cases,” it said.

It added that there are 18 patients currently being treated at hospitals throughout the state where 13 are treated at SGH, three at Sibu Hospital, one at Bintulu Hospital and one at Miri Hospital.

“There are four new person under investigation (PUI) cases reported today and one PUI pending lab test result,” said the committee.

Since the first positive Covid-19 case was reported on March 13, the state has recorded a total of 19 deaths.

Besides Kuching, Serian and Sibu districts remain as yellow zones with a total of three local infection cases reported in the last 14 days namely two cases in Sibu and one in Serian. — Borneo Post