PUTRAJAYA – The Pasai cluster, which has spread to several districts in Sarawak, has now infected six generations since the first Covid-19 case involving it was reported on January 9.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the cluster, which was first detected in Sibu, has now involved 58 longhouses in Sarawak, with the Health Ministry detecting 2,363 positive cases from 25,500 individuals screened so far.
He said the cluster occurred when the index case, who returned from Johor to attend a relative’s funeral, underwent the mandatory quarantine period in a longhouse that lacked isolation and compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“The burial customs at a longhouse take place over three straight days and involve many visitors from other longhouses,” he said, adding that the cluster also infected 46 health workers in the affected areas.
Dr Noor Hisham said the ministry is maintaining its projection that the number of new daily Covid-19 cases will reduce to double figures by May.
He said the implementation of the movement control order (MCO), now in its third week, has succeeded in preventing a surge in cases.
“We expect by the time we reach the fourth week (of the MCO), which is on February 13, or as we have now extended until February 18, we will probably see a decrease in cases.
“Based on our calculation – that is four weeks of MCO followed by the conditional MCO – we may be able to lower the Covid-19 infectivity rate, or R-naught, from 1.2 to 0.6,” he said, adding that the ministry expects the curve of infection to be flattened by March or April.
Dr Noor Hisham urged Malaysians to continue to adhere to set SOPs and remain at home if there is nothing important to attend to outside. – Bernama, February 9, 2021
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