COVID-19: Over 6,000 samples from Sabahans returning to Labuan awaiting results

LABUAN: Out of the 10,886 COVID-19 swab and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) samples taken from Sabahans returning between Sept 26 and Oct 4 via three Labuan entry points (Labuan Airport and two ferry terminals), the results of over 6,000 are still pending.

Labuan Health Department director, Dr Ismuni Bohari said the samples taken at the Membedai Health Clinic were sent to the Sungai Buloh Hospital laboratory in the peninsula to help expedite the results that would be made known by next week, the latest.

The drastic jump in the number of samples is due to the return of Sabahans who reside and work in Labuan after the state election late last month and the directive that they were required to undergo the test.

“We understand the feelings of those who are eagerly waiting for the results…we are doing our best to expedite them. We have to send the samples to the Sungai Buloh Hospital lab instead of the lab in Kota Kinabalu where the existing and new samples have been piling up.

“We hope our prediction is wrong, but at least one per cent of the more than 6, 000 samples might test positive, so we just need to be prepared,” he told Bernama.

On Monday, the road heading towards Membedai Health Clinic saw heavy traffic flow and bottleneck as early as 8 am as more than 1,000 people flocked to the clinic to undergo the COVID-19 test.

“We recorded 1,372 people from morning until 3pm. Of the number, 841 were issued with Annex 14b for home-quarantine (Order for Supervision and Observation at Home) and the remaining 531 issued with Annex 17b (released from undergoing Supervision and Observation Order at Home),” he said.

Dr Ismuni said his department had created an email, Covidresultlbn@gmail.com and WhatsApp number 011-14010988 (to provide name and identity card/passport number) for people undergoing home-quarantine to know their results via online.

“As our Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) has been receiving 300 to 500 calls daily, mostly for COVID-19 results, the email and WhatsApp can help expedite the process,” he said.

Labuan has 38 COVID-19 cases so far, with the new five and four cases (among Sabah returnees) recorded on Sunday and yesterday (Monday) respectively.

-- BERNAMA