MIRI – The authorities have been urged to provide more details to calm public fears following the sudden deaths of three individuals of one family in a housing estate here.
While the health authorities probe the causes of the deaths, residents are urging for transparency.
“There is information circulating on chat groups that, actually, four people died, three inside the house and one in hospital,” said netizen Johnny Johan.
“There are claims these deaths are due to the South African variant of Covid-19. These (rumours) are making people very fearful,” he said.
A resident here, Ronnie Empaga, said the local authorities must disclose accurate information on the location of the affected family’s house so that those living nearby can take extra precautions.
“Some WhatsApp messages say the house is located in the Senadin housing estate, while some say it is near the Tudan and Permyjaya housing areas.
“It is important that we know the exact place so we know where to avoid,” he said.
Senadin assemblyman Datuk Lee Kim Shin confirmed that three members of the family had died.
One of the deceased was confirmed to have died of Covid-19, while the test results for another is pending, and the other is confirmed to have died of other causes apart from Covid-19.
He said the three who died lived in a house with extended family members.
He said two died in Miri Hospital, and the other was brought in dead on the way from the house to the hospital.
“The Health Department is still probing into the three deaths,” he said yesterday.
Lee, who is also Miri Divisional Disaster Management Committee head, declined to disclose specific details of the housing estate or the identities of the three deceased.
Miri is among the urban districts in Sarawak logging the highest number of Covid-19 infections and deaths. – The Vibes, May 24, 2021
