THREE senior citizens from Sibu are the latest to die from Covid-19 in Sarawak, said the state disaster management committee.

The first of the deaths was that of a 72-year-old man, who was admitted into the Sibu hospital on February 19 after showing symptoms of the infection.

He had complained of fever, cough and breathing difficulties.

The committee said the health of the man, who also suffered from heart problems and had high blood pressure, deteriorated after he tested positive and succumbed to his infection yesterday.

The second is the state’s 11,319th Covid-19 victim, an 84-year-old who was admitted into the Sibu hospital on March 8, while the third is a 69-year-old who was admitted into the same hospital on February 27. All died yesterday.

With the death count now at 94, the committee also said today the Health Department has detected three new clusters – two communities and one workplace.

One of the clusters is in the Julau district while the other two are in Sibu – all in central Sarawak.

The Health Department has named the Julau community cluster as Nanga Bulo and it involves three longhouses in Entabai.

The two new clusters in Sibu have been named Kg Hilir and Jalan Jalan Sanyan.

Sarawak registered a high 183 new cases today with 73 detected in Sibu, Miri (22), Bintulu (17), Kapit (17), Julau (12), Kuching (12), Meradong (7), Betong (6), Samarahan (4), Sarikei (3), Selangau (3), Saratok (2), Sri Aman (2) and one each in Belaga, Dalat and Tg Manis.

The committee said of the 183, only 23 showed signs of symptoms of the infection when they were tested.

The majority of them – 154 – were already in isolation in quarantine centres. – March 16, 2021.