AN elderly woman, who was brought in dead to the Mukah hospital last Tuesday, is Sarawak’s 89th Covid-19 victim.

The 83 year-old, identified only as “case 10510”, was rushed to hospital after she was found unconscious at home.

She died later that same day.

The state disaster management committee said she was tested post-mortem the next day and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test result showed she was Covid-19-positive. 

The woman also suffered from hypertension and dislipidemia – an abnormal level of cholesterol and other fats in her blood.

In a follow-up investigation on the source of her infection, the committee said she was found to have come into contact with an infected person in the Buloh cluster, which is in nearby popular rest area of Selangau on the Pan-Borneo highway. 

The state today also reported, for the first time, the number of recoveries outpacing new cases. 

The committee said 210 patients have recovered from their infection and are allowed to return home compared to the 163 new infections detected in the last 24 hours.

The highest number of discharges were from the Sibu hospital, which allowed 69 to return home, with the low-risk treatment centre in Betong discharging 66, Bintulu hospital (30), Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching (16), Sarikei Hospital (11), Kapit centre (8), Miri Hospital (7) and Sri Aman centre (3). 

Today’s recoveries bring the number of people who have beaten the infection to 8,987.

Of the 163 new infections reported today, only 17 cases, or 10.43%, showed symptoms of the infection, while the rest were asymptomatic.

The rural district of Betong, about 200km from Kuching, is now the most infectious district in the state.

There were 37 cases recorded there today, with 29 of them linked to the Muhibbah cluster.

All 29 were asymptomatic. 

Miri district is next with 25 cases  Bintulu (23), Sibu (17), Subis (15), Kuching (12), Julau (9),  Asajaya (6), Kapit (6), Sarikei (4), Pusa (3), Samarahan (2), Bau (1), Kanowit (1), Tatau (1) and Dalat (1). – March 9, 2021.