PUTRAJAYA, July 21 — The Health Ministry has detected another Covid-19 cluster, this time in a hospital in Sarawak as infection figures returned to double digits this week.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham said the first case in this cluster involved a hospital worker who began displaying symptoms of breathing difficulties on July 13.
“The individual was tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday. Following this, further screening and detection has been conducted on 61 people as at 12pm today,” he said during his tri-weekly press conference here.
Out of those screened, five were found to be Covid-19 positive. Four of them were also hospital personnel while the fifth is a cleaning company worker.
“All five cases are being treated at the Sarawak General Hospital. As for the hospital in Kuching, it remains in service to the public.
“However, for the time being, it will not be accepting any new patients, while any outpatient will be referred to other nearby facilities for the time being,” Dr Noor Hisham said.
He said containment and decontamination measures, including sterilisation, is currently being conducted.
“The source of the cluster is still under investigation,” he said.
The Kuching hospital cluster is the second one to emerge in recent days, following one in an old folks’ home in Kluang, Johor, which also saw the death of a 72-year old man as Malaysia’s 123rd fatality.
