SIBU: Dr Annuar Rapaee believes the increase in Covid-19 cases in the district is due to the spread of the Delta variant.

Speaking on Thursday (Aug 26), he said the Delta variant was detected in Permai and Rantau Panjang zones two weeks ago.

The Sarawak Assistant Local Government and Housing Minister urged residents to be vigilant and adhere strictly to Covid-19 prevention standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Touching on the Semenyan Cluster declared by the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) on Thursday, Dr Annuar, who is also Nangka assemblyman, said the cluster was detected at oil palm plantations in Sengan and Menyan – the two areas are adjacent.

“Of the 161 new cases detected in Sibu on Thursday, 40 per cent involved foreign workers in the two oil palm plantations.

“The two plantations are located about 37km from Sibu and 13km from the main road.

“I’m sure the foreign workers would have gone to Sibu Jaya to buy their necessities.

“Therefore, locals are advised to be more vigilant when in public places, especially in Sibu Jaya.”

Meanwhile, commenting on the 161 individuals who tested positive, Dr Annuar said 104 of them had completed two doses of their vaccine.

In addition, he said, out of 161 cases, 44 cases were Category 1 (asymptomatic) while another 117 were Category 2 (experiencing mild symptoms such as colds and coughs) – both stages do not require hospital treatment.