Sarawak’s Tourism Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the 23-year-old, who was the youngest in the country to have succumbed to Covid-19, also had thyroid problems prior to contracting the virus.

It was reported that the victim was hospitalised at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) on March 30 after experiencing breathing difficulties. She passed away yesterday morning.

According to Karim, the victim’s family members also tested positive for the virus and are currently in stable condition.

He said the victim’s parents, who are school teachers, had come into close contact with a cluster from a church gathering.

Karim also told Unimas staff and students not to worry following the death reports of a lecturer and the student from the university due to Covid-19.

“Both victims had contracted the virus from outside the campus,” he added.

Karim also advised those who had close contact with any positive Covid-19 case to immediately seek medical tests at hospitals and not to delay treatment.

Meanwhile, the state disaster management committee, in a statement today, said Sarawak had recorded 15 new positive cases, bringing the total up to 327 cases today.

Of the 15, 14 are being treated at Sarawak General Hospital while the other one is at Bintulu Hospital.

A total of 254 Persons Under Investigation (PUI) were reported in the state, bringing the total to 2,259 cases.

Of these, 1,696 people had tested negative while 327 are still waiting for lab test results.