KUCHING, March 15 — At least 609 Sarawakians have been identified as participants of the recent gathering at the Sri Petaling mosque in Kuala Lumpur that has been linked to a number of COVID-19 cases, State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said.

He said the actual number had yet to be determined as the committee was still scrutinising the health declaration forms collected from inbound passengers into the state between March 2 and 5.

"I hope those who have yet to report themselves to the nearest health department or hospital will do so immediately as this is very crucial for their own health and society at large,” he said in a statement issued by his office this evening.

Earlier today, Uggah who is the state Deputy Chief Minister attended a closed-door briefing on COVID-19 situation in Miri where he was informed that 102 of those attending the religious gathering, held from Feb 27 to March 1, were from the city.

"For Miri alone, I have been told that some 74 of them (participants at the gathering) had turned up at the hospital here (to undergo health screening),” he said.

Uggah also urged Sarawakians who attended the Borneo Ultra Trial Run in Kota Kinabalu recently to report to the nearest health department upon their return for screening.

He said this was very important as there has been more COVID-19 positive cases in Sabah than Sarawak. As of Sunday, Sarawak recorded 20 COVID-19 positive cases while Sabah had 49 cases.

Meanwhile, he said, 12 individuals were currently under observation at the Petronas Sports Village which had been turned into a quarantine centre for the Miri division.

He said that Miri Hospital had the personnel and equipment to face the COVID-19 situation, and was collaborating with private hospitals around the northern Sarawak city.

"I would like to assure the people in Miri and in the state that we want to provide the best for them,” he added. — Bernama