With more centres testing, Sarawak’s high Covid-19 numbers to continue, says Dr Sim

Health workers conduct Covid-19 case detection. — Bernama photo

KUCHING (Sept 3): Sarawak will continue to see high numbers of new daily Covid-19 cases for the next few weeks as more centres are conducting swab tests, said Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.

The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor said this is unlike other states and territories in Malaysia, which are in the mitigation stage, where they only conduct swab tests on those who are symptomatic.

“I understand that the Covid-19 One Stop Centre (COSC) at the Kuching South City Council Dewan Masyarakat had started to use RTK Ag (Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test Kit) purchased by the Sarawak government at the request of the Sarawak Health Department last week to get faster results for 50 per cent of the 2,774 people going through the centres today (yesterday),” he said in a Facebook post last night.

Dr Sim said 866 out of the 1,342 cases reported in Kuching yesterday were from close contact tracing in 281 locations.

He added that 417 of the total cases were linked to family clusters, while 123 others were connected to workplace clusters and 69 others to social clusters.

The 250 cases detected outside Kuching district were in Bau (135), Lundu (78), Samarahan (25), Serian (7), and one case each in Sibu, Bintulu, Selangor, and Melaka.

Localities in Kuching that reported two-digit cases were Sarawak Cheshire Home (43), Kampung Tabuan Lot (43), Kampung Sinar Budi Baru (21), Kampung Panglima Seman Lama (18), Lorong Cahaya Damai (15), Kampung Kolong (14), Kampung Tematu (13), Kampung Semariang Batu (13), SPS Baru Stutong (13), Kampung Bintawa Hilir (13), Kampung Sikog (12), Jalan Astana (12), Kampung Pinang Jawa (11), Kampung Rampangi (10), Kampung Tabuan Cemerlang (10), Taman Indah Landeh (10), and Jalan Cenderawasih (10).

Dr Sim reiterated that Sarawakians, like the people in Singapore and the United Kingdom, will have to live with the virus in the post Covid-19 vaccination era.

He urged everyone, including those who had completed their second dose of vaccination, to help reduce transmissions so as not to overwhelm the healthcare and hospital system, by continuing very stringent practices and discipline on non-pharmaceutical interventions and public health measures.

“Let’s play our roles, do our part, and not panic or be misled by fake news,” added the Local Government and Housing Minister.

from Borneo Post Online https://bit.ly/3mZuFj2
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