MIRI – More primary school students are being infected with Covid-19 in the Bintulu district, said Tg Batu assemblyman Chiew Ching Sing, calling the rising rate of fresh cases ‘worrying’.
Speaking to The Vibes today, Chiew said at least half a dozen primary schools in his constituency had already reported infections over the past week.
“There were at least six primary schools hit by the Covid-19 last week in Bintulu. In each of the affected schools, at least three pupils had been infected, I was informed.
“The health teams have been carrying out active screening, contact tracing, and decontamination.
“The Education Department must seriously consider halting schooling sessions in the districts that are seeing serious infection spreads.”
Despite schools in the state reopening on March 8, parents are increasingly worried due to the coronavirus surge throughout various cities, towns and rural districts.
Sarawak yesterday recorded a new daily high of Covid-19 cases at 426 with two deaths, said state Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
The huge spike in fresh infections was due to the last close contact screening operation at the Semuja Immigration Depot.
“A total of 191 positive cases were detected from the Semuja Immigration Depot, contributing about 45% of the number of new cases in Sarawak today,” said Uggah.
He said all in all a total of 462 inmates at the immigration centre have been screened and 453 or about 94% were positive for Covid-19.
“This proves that the pandemic can spread easily when no social distancing is observed.”
This brings the total number of positive cases in the state to date at 15,869, while the death toll is at 103, he added. – The Vibes, March 29, 2021
