Test Backlog Caused Spike In Reported Cases Says Noor Hisham

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The health ministry outsourced processing of some samples to the Institute for Medical Research to clear the backlog. (Facebook pic)PETALING JAYA: Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says a backlog in Covid-19 tests had led to a sudden increase in the number of Covid-19 cases reported in Sabah.
However, he said the backlog was cleared today after the ministry outsourced the processing of samples to the Institute for Medical Research (IMR).
“Yes, (we found that) the results came back a bit late. The waiting time for some results was three days, so we tried to cut down the waiting time.
“We had a backlog but we have cleared it. That’s why there’s a sudden increase in the number of cases today,” he said at a press conference.
Noor Hisham was commenting on reports that several patients in Sabah were forced to wait for several days before being admitted to hospital or low-risk treatment centres.
Noor Hisham added that the state was constantly increasing its capacity to run tests as well as to treat patients, whether in hospitals or low-risk centres.
He said the state was capable of running around 2,600 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests daily. Additional samples will be outsourced to the private sector.
He added that some 100,00 RTK (rapid test kit) antigen tests had been delivered to Sabah to help the state manage the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Sabah alone recorded 702 cases today, making up 80.6% of the new daily high of 871 cases reported.
New infections in the state have reached triple digits for more than 10 days in a row now. - FMT

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