SIBU: Thirty-seven new Covid-19 cases have been detected here after a woman, who came back from Johor to attend her father’s funeral in Pasai Siong here, was identified as a superspreader among her longhouse folk.
State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Sibu chairman Charles Siaw said the 37 people tested positive at about 10.30pm on Friday (Jan 8).
“They were detected through the screening results of a case of a woman returning from Johor (Case 1,175) on Dec 29,2020. Case 1,175 was announced by SDMC on Jan 7 through a media statement,” said Siaw during a press conference on Saturday (Jan 9).
He added that the woman is being treated at Sibu Hospital.
He said the woman had returned from Johor Baru via Kuala Lumpur on a Firefly FY1335 flight at 8am. She then took a Malaysia Airlines MH2536 transit flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kuching at 1.35pm on the same day.
Upon arrival at Kuching International Airport, she was swabbed for the first time and the results were negative.
“She then proceeded to Sibu on an AirAsia AK6466 flight from Kuching and arrived at 8.50pm. She was ordered to quarantine at her longhouse, Rumah Langi in Pasai Siong. She later attended her father’s funeral at a graveyard about 15km from Jalan Teku Pasai Siong junction,” he said.
She took a second swab on Jan 5 at Jalan Lanang Health Clinic and the result came back positive on Jan 6.
Siaw said the Health Ministry subsequently on the next day screened 74 residents of Rumah Langi and the results on Jan 8 came back with 37 positive cases.
More screenings are now being conducted including the other seven longhouses in Pasai Siong on Saturday and Sunday.
The police, he said, has set up a roadblock at the entrance to Rumah Langi, Pasai Siong, starting 11.30pm on Jan 8 as all the eight longhouses sharing the same road junction to their respective longhouses.
The eight longhouses are now under lockdown and residents are not allowed to go out.
“Food and health facilities will be given to affected residents of the longhouses,” he said.
The eight longhouses are Rumah Langi Ambau, Rumah Jelian Nayor, Rumah Ringgit Unchu, Rumah Pom Maja, Rumah Jeram Empin, Rumah Kely Chundau and Rumah Nyambong Ajon.
Siaw also urged those who had attended the same funeral ceremony at Rumah Langi from Dec 29 to 31, to attend a Covid-19 screening at either Jalan Lanang Health Clinic or Sibu Jaya Health Clinic.
