New Covid-19 clusters declared in Selangau, Tatau districts

KUCHING: Two new Covid19 clusters were declared by the state Health Department yesterday, with one of the clusters already recording a total of 97 positive cases, said the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).

The committee said both were community clusters.

“The ‘Emperoh Cluster’ derived from Covid-19 detection in three longhouses in Selangau District.

“The index case is a 27year-old woman, who was identified through screenings of symptomatic individuals.

“After experiencing signs and symptoms on April 23, she sought treatment at Selangau Health Clinic on April 28 where she was found to be reactive to the RTK Antigen Test.

“She was referred to Sibu Hospital and her test result returned positive (for Covid19) on May 4 when she was still hospitalised,” it said in a statement.

The SDMC said the index case, who works as a clerk at a government premises in Selangau town, was infected from the community and had spread the virus to her family members and villagers of three longhouses through close and casual contacts, which subsequently spread through chains of other positive cases.

“Further investigation and active case detection (ACD) screenings involving family members, colleagues as well as targeted screenings over the three longhouses, uncovered an additional number of 96 positive cases out of the 436 individuals screened,” it said, adding that the remaining 336 individuals had tested negative for the virus.

All 97 positive cases had been referred to Sibu Hospital and admitted to the Sibu Covid19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centre (PKRC) for isolation and further treatment.

SDMC said the other new cluster, dubbed the ‘Ulu Anap Cluster’, derived from a longhouse in Ulu Sungai Anap, Nanga Tau in Tatau District of Bintulu Division.

“The index case was a 38-yearold woman, who was detected after undergoing symptomatic individual screenings at Nanga Tau Health Clinic on April 29.

“She was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on May 1,” it said, adding that the case started experiencing signs and symptoms of infection on April 23.

It said the index case, who works as a private general worker at a primary school in Nanga Tau, was infected from the community and had spread the infection to family members and other villagers at the longhouse through close and casual contacts.

“Further investigation and ACD screenings involving family members, colleagues, and casual contacts to the index case found an additional six positive cases,” it added.

The SDMC said the longhouse was then placed under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) where targeted screenings had been conducted on villagers at the longhouse.

“A total of 125 individuals had been screened, where 19 cases were found positive (including the index case), 104 had tested negative, and two cases still pending lab test results,” it said.

The SDMC added that all positive cases had been referred to Bintulu Hospital and admitted to the PKRC for isolation and further treatment.

SDMC said with the latest addition, 78 Covid-19 clusters remained active in Sarawak, with 17 clusters recording an increase of 150 new positive cases, while the rest reported no new cases.