S’wak records two more deaths, 219 new infections

KUCHING: The number of Covid19 deaths in Sarawak rose by two yesterday to 50 as 219 new infections were detected across the state.

Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) in its daily update said both deaths were recorded in Sibu District involving a 92-year-old man and a 73-yearold woman.

“The 49th death was a 92-yearold man who had experienced shortness of breath on Jan 29 and was admitted to Sibu Hospital on Jan 30.

“He was found positive on Jan 31 and pronounced dead on Feb 6 at 9.49pm,” said SDMC in a statement, adding the deceased had comorbidity of high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

On the 50th death, SDMC said the woman was referred to Sibu Hospital after she was tested positive during symptomatic screening at a care facility.

It said the case had experienced fever beginning Jan 17 and was tested the next day before being found positive on Jan 19.

“Her condition began to deteriorate and she passed away on Feb 6 at 10.21pm. She also had comorbidity of diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke,” it added.

On the breakdown of yesterday’s new infections, which raised the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the state to 5,676, SDMC said Sibu recorded the most at 55 cases, followed by Song (50), Beluru (35), Miri (32), Kapit (25), Samarahan (5), Kanowit (5), Bintulu (4), Bukit Mabong (3), and one each in Kuching, Lundu, Betong, Saratok and Subis.

These cases were detected through active case detection, screening of symptomatic individuals, self-screening, screening of close contacts to active clusters, and screening of healthcare workers.

On the number of new recoveries, SDMC said a total of 134 patient discharges were recorded at Sibu Hospital (79), Miri Hospital (24), Bintulu Hospital (11), Kapit Hospital quarantine and low-risk treatment centre (PKRC) (9), Sarawak General Hospital (6), Limbang Hospital PKRC (4), and Sipitang PKRC in Sabah (1).

This raised the cumulative number of Covid-19 recoveries in Sarawak to 3,734 or 65.79 per cent of the overall number of cases, it added.

At the same time, 1,874 patients remain warded in Sarawak with 945 of them in Sibu Hospital, 376 in Miri Hospital, 198 in Kapit Hospital PKRC, 175 in Sarawak General Hospital, 160 in Bintulu Hospital, 19 in Sarikei Hospital, and one in Limbang Hospital PKRC.

Meanwhile, a total of 249 new person-under-investigation cases were recorded yesterday with 36 still awaiting lab test results.