A view of the waterfront in Kuching city. Kuching has the worst Covid-19 death toll and infection rate in Sarawak. -Stephen pic
MIRI: Sarawak's Covid-19 task force has found that 2,484 people in Kuching, believed to be close contacts of positive Covid-19 patients, have not undergone any health screenings.
State Disaster Relief Management Committee said the task force will be contacting the 2,484 to undergo screening starting Monday (April 20).
The committee said the task force will get the help of the State Health Department to call each of the 2,484 close contacts.
"The task force is giving number one priority to tracing and getting those people to undergo immediate tests to determine if they are infected or not.
"This is a top priority in efforts to reduce Covid-19 infections.
"Until today, 3,538 close contacts of Covid-19 positive patients had been sent for tests in Kuching.
"Kuching has the highest number of infections in the state," said the committee.
The committee said the 2,484 people must obey instructions to undergo tests without delay.
If they refuse to voluntarily submit themselves, stricter measures will be taken to compel them to undergo mandatory tests, it warned.
Former state health directors Dr Jamilah Hashim and Datuk Dr Andrew Kiyu were recruited last week by state authorities to head the task force to try and reduce the Covid-19 surge in Sarawak that has claimed 14 lives so far, while more than 400 other confirmed positive cases are being treated in hospitals statewide.
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