KUCHING: There has been a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases with the Delta variant detected in the state, says the Institute of Health and Community Medicine (IHCM) of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

       IHCM director Prof Dr David Perera said an overall detection rate of over 73% had been recorded recently, a sharp increase from the 50% reported on Aug 3.

       He said for the Kuching division alone, the Delta variant detection rate was about 90%.

       “This variant also continues to be detected in Bau, Lundu, Kota Samarahan, Simunjan, Miri and Bintulu.

       “Additionally, we have detected six (cases of) Delta variants in Sibu,” he said in a statement yesterday.

       IHCM has been tasked with testing samples and genome sequencing analysis to detect changes in the virus since the pandemic first broke.

       As at Aug 10, Prof Perera said a total of 249 additional variants of concern (VOC) and variants of interest (VOI) were detected from 338 Covid-19 positive cases sequenced, and of these, 248 were of the Delta variant.

       He said a cumulative total of 592 cases involving such VOC/VOI had been detected in Sarawak as of Aug 10.

       Meanwhile. 11 Covid-19 clusters were declared in the state yesterday, with four of these detected in Kuching district, five in Serian and one each in Sibu and Selangau.

       The State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) said three of the new clusters detected in Kuching were workplace clusters, namely the Jalan DBKU Cluster with 15 people detected to be positive, Jalan Tenaga Cluster (13), Central Park Batu Tiga Cluster(12), while the Kampung Muara Tebas Cluster (43) was a community cluster.

       In Serian district, the four community clusters are the Tanah Mawang Cluster (54 positive cases detected), Semada Cluster (55), Kampung Sungai Lingsat Cluster (65) and Ensebang Plaie Cluster (34) while the Batu 25 Jalan Kuching-Serian Cluster is a workplace cluster (36).

       The two new clusters in Sibu and Selangau are also workplace clusters, namely the Tanjung Kibong 2 Cluster (17 positive cases) and Dijih Cluster (13).

       Yesterday, the Covid-19 new cases in Sarawak rose to 1,403 from 835 on Tuesday, bringing the cumulative number to 90,810.

       Sibu and Kuching each recorded one death, bringing the total number in the state to 491. — Bernama