THE Sarawak police commissioner is the latest prominent individual in the state to test positive for Covid-19.

Aidi Ismail confirmed the matter to the media via WhatsApp, and said he was warded last night at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).

He said he developed flu-like symptoms on Saturday.

Sarawak deputy police commissioner Dev Kumar earlier confirmed that Aidi was admitted to SGH, but did not know whether he was infected.

“His test result was not shared with me. As such, I cannot confirm whether his hospitalisation is due to Covid-19 or other illnesses.”

He said several senior officers at the Sarawak police contingent headquarters in Jalan Badruddin, Kuching, have been asked to undergo quarantine until they get tested.

“We are still verifying the number,” said Kumar, who is on his last day of home quarantine after coming into contact with a different case.

“I am not one of those ordered to undergo home quarantine because of contact with the police commissioner. I was home-quarantined much earlier for a different contact, and I expect to be released from quarantine tomorrow,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Before Aidi’s case, the notable Sarawak figures who tested positive for the coronavirus were Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang and state Assistant Transport Minister Dr Jerip Susil.

As of yesterday, the virus has infected 288 people and killed 12 in Sarawak.

Meanwhile, Malaysiakini reports that Aidi’s wife has been ordered to undergo quarantine at the couple’s government quarters. They have four children, but none is in Kuching.

Kumar said the Health Department is conducting contact tracing in Aidi’s case.

Other Sarawak leaders also under home quarantine are Deputy Chief Ministers Douglas Uggah Embas and Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, state Housing and Local Government Minister Dr Sim Kui Hian, and state Welfare, Community Well-being, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Fatimah Abdullah.

All of them were at a March 27 meeting attended by the Resident of the Samarahan, who later tested positive for the disease. – April 8, 2020.