KUCHING, March 21 — Sarawak recorded another two deaths from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) to bring the state’s total to three, its Disaster Management Committee said today.

The deceased were a 79-year-old Sarawakian woman and her 40-year-old daughter.

"The mother died at a private medical centre here at 2am on March 18 while her daughter died at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH)l today at 1 pm,” the disaster committee said in a statement.

Another family member who tested positive for Covid-19 is still warded and on life support at SGH.

The disaster committee said the source for their infection is still being investigated.

The state was the site of Malaysia’s first Covid-19 death, that of a Christian pastor on March 13 also in Kuching.

The disaster committee said the delay in reporting the death of the 79-year old woman was because the private medical centre where she was warded had to wait for the test result from a private laboratory in Kuala Lumpur.

Separately, the state also recorded 10 new Covid-19 positive cases bringing the total to 68 since March 13.

Five of the cases are at Sibu Hospital, SGH (inclusive of the woman who died today) and two in Bintulu.

The state records another 37 patients under investigation (PUI), bring the total of 751 cases.

Of these, 711 cases had tested negative and 40 more are awaiting test results.

Earlier this evening, the Health Ministry reported two more deaths to bring the country’s total to four, not including the two that Sarawak just disclosed.

Including Sarawak’s latest deaths, Malaysia has lost six people to Covid-19.