Sarawak’s Green Hill cluster highly infectious, warns minister
Sarawak minister Dr Sim Kui Hian says tests among cases in the Green Hill cluster have shown a high virus load which spreads faster and easier. (Bernama pic)
KUCHING: Sarawak Local Government and Housing Minister Dr Sim Kui Hian today said the strain of the Covid-19 virus linked to the Green Hill cluster in the state seemed highly infectious.
In a statement, he said those infected had started showing symptoms on the third to fifth day instead of the 10th day onward as in previous cases.
Sim, who trained as a cardiologist, said laboratory studies had shown the virus load (amount) was high.
“The higher virus load means it will spread faster and easier,” he said. “So, there are a lot of infected young patients from the cluster, showing symptoms on the third to fifth day.
In a statement, he said those infected had started showing symptoms on the third to fifth day instead of the 10th day onward as in previous cases.
Sim, who trained as a cardiologist, said laboratory studies had shown the virus load (amount) was high.
“The higher virus load means it will spread faster and easier,” he said. “So, there are a lot of infected young patients from the cluster, showing symptoms on the third to fifth day.
Dr Sim Kui Hian
“Most of them (in the Green Hill cluster) had gone for their Covid-19 swab test at private hospitals and clinics instead of waiting for our health officers to come to them.”
He advised the people to do their second swab test if the first result was negative.
“If the first test is negative, it does not mean you have not been infected as the incubation period for the virus is 14 days.
“The Sarawak government’s policy is different from that in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Douglas Uggah Embas said there was no travel restriction to and out of Kuching for now despite the district having been classified as a red zone.
However, he advised people not to visit Kuching if they had no urgent reason to do so.
He said the Green Hill cluster, involving people and close contacts in and around Kuching, was quite worrying, and urged everyone to stay vigilant and to avoid crowded places.
To date, there are 21 positive cases linked to the cluster, including the index case – an online businessman who tested positive at a private hospital on Oct 26.
No way to avoid holding state election, Sarawak minister says
He advised the people to do their second swab test if the first result was negative.
“If the first test is negative, it does not mean you have not been infected as the incubation period for the virus is 14 days.
“The Sarawak government’s policy is different from that in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman Douglas Uggah Embas said there was no travel restriction to and out of Kuching for now despite the district having been classified as a red zone.
However, he advised people not to visit Kuching if they had no urgent reason to do so.
He said the Green Hill cluster, involving people and close contacts in and around Kuching, was quite worrying, and urged everyone to stay vigilant and to avoid crowded places.
To date, there are 21 positive cases linked to the cluster, including the index case – an online businessman who tested positive at a private hospital on Oct 26.
+++ Meanwhile +++
FMT:
No way to avoid holding state election, Sarawak minister says
Sarawak minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says the EC and health ministry must come up with stricter SOPs when the state election takes place
KUCHING: A state minister says the surge in Covid-19 cases in Sabah after the polls there should not be cited as a reason for Sarawak to put off its election.
Tourism minister and PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the high number of illegal immigrants in Sabah, and local residents staying in highly populated communes were among the factors contributing to the spread of Covid-19 in that state.
He said the Election Commission (EC) did not come up with stringent SOPs for the campaign period as well as nomination and polling days after the dissolution of the Sabah assembly.
“Various political parties went on with campaign activities and stricter SOPs were not imposed, which led to the spike in the number of cases after the polls,” Karim told FMT.
“We acknowledge the concern of health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who has advised against holding any election for now in view of the pandemic, but the scenario in Sarawak is different.
”Besides, we must hold the state election by June, unless an emergency is declared, which is unlikely to happen.”
Therefore, he said, there was no way for Sarawak to avoid holding its state election as the current term of the state assembly would expire in a few months’ time.
Asked if the state government would consider waiting for all the districts to be categorised as Covid-19 green zones before dissolving the assembly, Karim said: “No one can foresee what is going to happen next, whether there is a hike or drop in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state.”
He said the state government would monitor the situation and call for an election when it was “safer and appropriate even if Covid-19 is still around”.
“Otherwise, the state assembly will be dissolved automatically, regardless of whether Sarawak is a red zone or green zone.”
Karim said the EC and health ministry must come up with stricter SOPs to prevent Covid-19 from spreading during the state election without curtailing the rights of citizens to vote.
Tourism minister and PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the high number of illegal immigrants in Sabah, and local residents staying in highly populated communes were among the factors contributing to the spread of Covid-19 in that state.
He said the Election Commission (EC) did not come up with stringent SOPs for the campaign period as well as nomination and polling days after the dissolution of the Sabah assembly.
“Various political parties went on with campaign activities and stricter SOPs were not imposed, which led to the spike in the number of cases after the polls,” Karim told FMT.
“We acknowledge the concern of health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who has advised against holding any election for now in view of the pandemic, but the scenario in Sarawak is different.
”Besides, we must hold the state election by June, unless an emergency is declared, which is unlikely to happen.”
Therefore, he said, there was no way for Sarawak to avoid holding its state election as the current term of the state assembly would expire in a few months’ time.
Asked if the state government would consider waiting for all the districts to be categorised as Covid-19 green zones before dissolving the assembly, Karim said: “No one can foresee what is going to happen next, whether there is a hike or drop in the number of Covid-19 cases in the state.”
He said the state government would monitor the situation and call for an election when it was “safer and appropriate even if Covid-19 is still around”.
“Otherwise, the state assembly will be dissolved automatically, regardless of whether Sarawak is a red zone or green zone.”
Karim said the EC and health ministry must come up with stricter SOPs to prevent Covid-19 from spreading during the state election without curtailing the rights of citizens to vote.
No doubt, the Sarawak State Assembly runs out in June 2021, and elections must be held within 60 days of that.
ReplyDeleteThat still means there is no constitutional imperative to call the elections before June 2021.
Any early elections would be a political move, and an irresponsible one, given the Covid-19 situation.
perhaps we can have some lecture from that half past 5, however the lecture must be done before the election and not after.
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