INFECTIONS detected at two educational institutions in Sarawak – a college in Saratok and a secondary school in Kapit – have spawned the state’s latest Covid-19 clusters.

The state disaster management committee, in its daily update on the pandemic, stated 48 of the 294 staff and students screened at the college on Jalan Roban Lama in Saratok had contracted Covid-19.

Meanwhile, 23 out of the 108 students and staff screened at the school at Jalan Selirik in Kapit also tested positive.

The committee said the Jalan Roban Lama cluster was detected through targeted testing carried out by officers from the Betong divisional health office on Sunday, one day before Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg ordered all educational institutions in the state’s Covid-19 red zone closed.

In the tests, 40 were reactive to the tests using the Rapid Test Kit (RTK) Antigen.

In second tests yesterday, using the more sensitive real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), 13 people were confirmed positive for Covid-19.

The committee said the source of the infection could have been picked from the community.

Both Saratok and Kapit districts are in the red zone.

According to Health Ministry guidelines, a red zone is a district that has more than 41 new cases in a two-week period, an orange zone is 21 to 40 cases, a yellow zone is one to 20, and green is no cases at all.

In the Jalan Selirik cluster, the index case is a 15-year-old boarder who was tested positive on April 12.

He was tested as he showed symptoms of the infection on his return to his dormitory on April 5.

The committee said the infection likely spread during the gotong-royong to clean up the dormitories when the school resumed classes.

It said the school failed to observe the standard operating procedure (SOP) with no observance of any social distancing between staff and students.

Among the infected are day students, while the source of the infection too is believed to be from the community.

The number of people infected could rise with 85 test results pending.

Those testing positive have been taken to hospital for treatment and quarantine.

With the discovery of the two groupings, there are now 56 clusters in Sarawak. Of which, 17 clusters contributed 189 new cases today.

Sarawak recorded 717 new cases today, with Sibu contributing 165 infections, Bintulu 162 and Kuching 57.

Despite the new cluster, cases were reported in Saratok (45); Meradong (44); Miri (40); Subis (38); Kapit (31); Bukit Mabong (28); Serian (27); Mukah (27); Selangau (15); Sarikei, Kanowit and Matu (five each); Kabong, Daro, Sri Aman and Beluru (three each); Samarahan, Pusa, Lundu, Julau and Lubok Antu (two each); and Bau (1). – April 23, 2021.