In Sarawak, Sarikei boarding school off limits after student tests positive for Covid-19, while Padawan man who lost wife triggers funeral cluster

 

The Emperoh Jambu cluster was traced back to a man who had the Covid-19 virus and attended a funeral for his wife. He had been screened for Covid-19 before returning to work on February 16. — Picture by Hari Anggara

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KUCHING, Feb 22 — All teachers, staff and boarding students of SMK Meradong in Sarikei Division are currently in quarantine after one student tested positive for Covid-19, Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said today.

He said not counting the index case, 21 people have since tested positive and that the entire school is now off limits to visitors. The test results for 534 others are pending.

“The Sungai Bakong cluster is a new community cluster involving a boarding student of the school.

“The case index was screened for Covid-19 on Covid-19 on February 15 after showing symtoms three days earlier,” Uggah said in his media briefing.

“Based on this, active case detection operation was carried out, and as this afternoon, 593 individuals have been screened,” he said.

Uggah also announced a community cluster has emerged in Padawan, Kuching district.

The Emperoh Jambu cluster was traced back to a man who had the Covid-19 virus and attended a funeral for his wife. He had been screened for Covid-19 before returning to work on February 16.

“This case index is believed to have spread the virus to other family members who attended the funeral at Kampung Emperoh Jambu between February 3 and 5,” Uggah said.

He 60 others from the funeral tested positive as of this afternoon. Test results are pending for 337 others while 40 were found negative.

Uggah said 111 patients had recovered and were discharged from Sarawak government hospitals today while 2,175 are still under treatment.

One more person died from Covid-19 in Sarawak today, bringing the total number of deaths to 74 to-date.

The latest death involved a 58-year old man from Sibu.

Uggah said the man was brought to the Sibu Hospital after showing symptoms of Covid-19 infection and difficulty in breathing and having a cough.

Sarawak recorded 221 positive cases today, with 67 from Kuching, Sibu (63), Bintulu (28), Meradong (24), Kapit (15),  Samarahan (11), Miri (5), Bau (3), Subis (2) and Beluru, Betong and Kanowit with one each. - malaymail