MIRI – Sarawak found 99 illegal Indonesian migrants infected with Covid-19 today, even as the death toll in the state continues to rise.
State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said a screening exercise on illegal migrants who were caught along the Sarawak-Kalimantan border in Tebedu in southern Sarawak uncovered the cases.
“They were detained at the Sarawak-Kalimantan border at Tebedu, and at least 99 of them were confirmed positive with Covid-19 today.
“A new cluster has emerged called the Semuja Immigration Depot Cluster in Serian district,” the Bukit Saban MP said at a press conference in Kuching, adding that screening is being carried out at the new cluster as well as other depots and prisons.
Another new cluster – Cluster Sg Atap – was found in the Sg Atap longhouse in Meradong district, involving 19 longhouse folks so far, he said. These new additions means that Sarawak now has 34 clusters.
Meanwhile, Uggah – who is also one of the state's three deputy chief ministers – said the pandemic claimed its 95th fatality today.
The death of a 54-yr old woman was confirmed today to be due to the coronavirus, he said after extending condolences to her family members.
There were 303 new positive cases today, spread amongst Serian district (101 cases), Bintulu (57), Sibu (47), Miri (27), Meradong (13), Kapit (10) and several other districts (below 10 cases each).
Sibu Hospital today had the highest number of Covid-19 patients (701), followed by Miri Hospital (449), Bintulu Hospital (346), Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching (264), Kapit Hospital (241), Sarikei Hospital (160), Betong Hospital (127), Sri Aman Hospital (30), Mukah Hospital (22), and Limbang Hospital (3). – The Vibes, March 18, 2021
