1,543 new Covid-19 cases push Sarawak's tally to over 100,000 infections

KUCHING: Sarawak's overall Covid-19 tally rose above 100,000 as 1,543 new cases were reported on Tuesday (Aug 24).

The state disaster management committee said Kuching registered the most number of new cases with 812, followed by Subis (142) and Bau (74).

Another 28 districts reported between one and 68 cases each, taking the state's cumulative number to 101,381.

The death toll also rose to 503 with two new fatalities, an 80-year-old woman who died at Bintulu Hospital and a 75-year-old man who died at the Sarawak General Hospital here.

Both had comorbidities including hypertension, heart disease and dyslipidemia.

Of the new cases, 1,541 or 99.9% were in categories one and two (asymptomatic and mild symptoms respectively), the committee said.

It said there were two cases in the most severe category five (symptomatic and requiring ventilator).

"A total of 819 cases were close contacts of Covid-19 patients and 356 from active clusters.

"There were four imported cases involving individuals returning from Sabah (two) and one each from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor," the committee said in a statement.

It also said two new community clusters were declared in a longhouse in Selangau and a village in Serian.

To date, the Nanga Pelugau cluster in Selangau has 24 positive cases while the Plaman Bantang cluster in Serian has 53 cases.