SIBU: Today marks a full month since the Pasai Cluster hit the people of Sibu and spread across the state.
It has been characterised as an unusual cluster as it spreads drastically resulting in many being infected, making it the largest cluster in Sarawak thus far.
The effects of Covid-19 infections through the cluster were very shocking and frightening for the people of Sibu.
In the past, Sibu was one of the green zone areas that did not record any Covid-19 cases but now Sibu is sitting on the throne with the highest record of Covid-19 infection in its daily cases as announced by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) recently.
Also considered as super spreader, Pasai Cluster has paralysed especially Sibu, nearby areas and Sarawak in general.
It started on Jan 7, when a total of 37 positive Covid-19 cases were recorded at Rumah Langi Ambau, Pasai Siong in Sibu.
The source of infection is believed to start during a funeral from Dec 29 to 31, 2020 where the residents of the longhouse were paying their last respects and observing wake to the deceased.
During the period, the deceased’s daughter who came back from Johor to attend her father’s funeral in Pasai Siong here was identified as the index case and super spreader among her longhouse folk.
As a result, the Pasai Cluster continued to ‘explode’ when 37 positive cases of Covid-19 were detected among its residents.
Following this, movement restrictions were implemented in the Pasai Siong area which covered more than 19 longhouses including Rumah Langi.
From there, one by one, the guests or friends present at the funeral were tested positive for the virus including hundreds of their close contacts consisting of family members and others.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) has deployed a task force to conduct screening tests on about 2,000 residents.
As of Feb 5, it was still the largest active cluster and had infected 2,211 people in 97 longhouses including those from other districts.
The Pasai Cluster has claimed the lives of 26 people so far with deaths recorded in the Sibu area alone, with the oldest victim aged 95 and the youngest, 38.
Over the past two weeks, Sibu recorded positive cases of Covid-19 that claimed at least one life almost every day.
Last Friday, four Covid-19 patients died at the Sibu hospital.
More than 36,000 screening tests were conducted involving 26,000 individuals in Sibu town and another 8,200 individuals around the longhouses and areas involved with the Pasai Cluster throughout Sarawak.
This has been a very comprehensive and heavy effort by the MoH, SDMC, Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) in the fight against Covid-19.
As a result, 1,000 beds are provided to patients at the PKRC Low-Risk Covid-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centres in Sibu, Kanowit and Sarikei.
About 2,000 cases have been quarantined at Sibu hospital and 1,732 individuals have recovered during this past month.
Whilst the residents in the affected longhouses are undergoing movement control order (MCO), the state government has launched food aid distribution to the affected residents in efforts to ease their burden.
The MCO initially started from Jan 16 to 29 but was extended from Jan 30 to Feb 14 involving the Sibu division which included the districts of Sibu, Selangau and Kanowit.
