MIRI, May 4 ― A total of 182 close contacts of the Covid-19 positive cases from eight longhouses and a school in Tinjar will be transported to Miri today for swab test and quarantined at designated centres.
Minister in-charge of Miri Divisional Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC) Datuk Lee Kim Shin when contacted this morning, confirmed that this had to be done based on advice by the Ministry of Health (MoH).
“Upon the advice of MoH, all close contacts which had been identified through active (case) detection over the last few days will be brought to Miri for swab test and later on will be placed under quarantine,” said Lee.
The eight longhouses involved are Rh Francis Ubi (Kampung Long Jegan A), Rh Dennis Tija (Kampung Long Jegan B), Rh Henry Kassim (Kampung Long Jegan C), Rh Malina Ak Anom (Long Tisam), Rh Atam Ak Jawi (Long Tisam), Rh Jalin Ak Sigah (Long Tisam) and Rh Lirang Tinggang (Long Takong), while the school involved is SK Long Jegan.
It is learnt that all 182 will be transported in buses and lorries later today.
When asked why medical personnel were not sent to these longhouses to conduct the swab test, Lee said it was done based on the advice of MOH and their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
A few people from the longhouse have raised their concern over the possibility of being infected with the virus during their journey down to Miri for the swab test, as they are worried that they may be placed together in close proximity with those who may have been infected.
On May 1, Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) announced four new clusters which included Long Jegan cluster.
The cluster involved an educational institution where the index case was a male teacher detected through a symptomatic individual on April 22.
As of May 2, 57 were tested positive including the index case.
So far, only the school had been placed under lockdown with teachers and pupils being quarantined in the school’s compound pending their second swab test results.
Lee said, as for now, all eight longhouses would not be placed under lockdown unless there was directive from MoH to do so. ― Borneo Post
