KUCHING, Feb 17 — A new Covid-19 cluster dubbed the ‘Jan Yong Cluster’ has been discovered in Kapit, the State Health Department announced today.
The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) revealed that the new cluster is a community cluster that has been detected in Kapit District involving a longhouse in the Sungai Yong area.
“The index case for this cluster is the 7,043th case, who is a 21-year-old Sarawakian woman who has been detected through a screening of individuals in an active case detection (ACD) exercise by the Kapit Division Health Office,” it said.
On the deaths, the committee said the 63rd fatality involved a 63-year-old Sarawakian man who was admitted to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) after having trouble breathing.
“The victim, who hailed from Simunjan, was swabbed using the RT-PCR test and later found to be Covid-19 positive on Jan 22 as a result of close contact screening to a Covid-19 positive case.
“His health condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead on Feb 16,” it said, noting that the victim had a history of comorbidity such as high blood pressure, heart disease and dyslipidemia.
It added that this case is from the Indah Riang Cluster.
The 64th death case involved a 74-year-old Sarawakian man from Dalat, Mukah, who was admitted to Bintulu Hospital due to breathing difficulties, it said.
“An RT-PCR test was performed and he tested positive on Feb 15. His health worsened and he passed away on Feb 17.
“The victim also had a history of comorbidity namely heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney failure,” it said.
SDMC said the 65th fatality, which was recorded in Sibu, involved a 73-year-old Sarawakian man who was found unconscious at a care centre and then taken to Sibu Hospital.
“He was took the RT-PCR test on Feb 13 and tested positive for the virus the next day.
“The victim, who suffered from high blood pressure, passed away on Feb 14 at the senior citizen care centre before being confirmed by Sibu Hospital,” it said, adding that this case was from the Geronggang Cluster.
On the new positive cases, the committee said Sibu’s cases were mostly from individuals who were screened through active case detection (ACD) of contacts to Covid-19 positive cases.
“A total of 76 individuals were detected as positive from this screening while 26 others were detected after being screened at health centres in Sibu district,” it said.
In Kapit, it said 35 cases were linked to the Gelong Cluster while another 14 were detected under the Jan Yong Cluster.
“There were also four cases which were detected from individuals who were screened through ACD of contacts to Covid-19 positive case,” it added.
Kuching’s new cases today consisted of 12 which were linked to the Kampung Sungai Maong Cluster and one under the Univista Cluster, said SDMC.
“The district also recorded two positive cases from individuals who went for screening at health centres in Kuching and one involving a symptomatic individual who was screening at a health centre,” it said.
It said Bintulu’s 13 cases consisted of six individuals who were linked to the Rakut Cluster; six involving symptomatic individuals and one who was detected through ACD of contacts to Covid-19 positive case.
“In Miri, two cases were found positive after ACD of contacts to Covid-19 positive case and one involved the screening of a symptomatic individual at a health centre in the district,” it said.
It pointed out that the Pasai Cluster continued to record an increase in the number of cases with seven registered in Dalat, three in Lundu and one in Beluru.
“The sole case recorded in Samarahan and Belaga respectively today was detected from screenings of individuals at a health centre in the respective districts,” it said.
Meanwhile, SDMC said 111 Covid-19 patients had recovered today, of which 45 were discharged from Miri Hospital, 44 from Sibu Hospital, 12 from quarantine and low-risk patients treatment centres (PKRC) under Kapit Hospital, eight from SGH and one each from Bintulu Hospital and Sarikei Hospital.
“The total number of recoveries in the state have now increased to 5,204 or 72.03 per cent out of the overall cases,” it said.
It also said 1,927 patients are still being treated at hospitals throughout the state, where 1,011 are being treated at Sibu Hospital, followed by 318 at Miri Hospital, 203 at PKRC Kapit under Kapit Hospital, 156 at SGH, 156 at Bintulu Hospital, 79 at Sarikei Hospital, two at Limbang Hospital, one at PKRC Sri Aman and one at PKRC Lawas.
A total of 222 new persons-under -investigation (PUI) cases were also reported today with no PUI awaiting lab test results. — Borneo Post
