KOTA KINABALU – Sabah continues to record Covid-19 cases in the triple figures, with today seeing 245 new infections.
Papar recorded the highest number of cases at 79, followed by Kalabakan (43), Tawau (37) and Kota Kinabalu (37).
Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said in a statement the increase in Covid-19 cases stem from an existing cluster – the Kuala cluster involving SM Agama Kuala Papar, where 62 are down with the virus.
Four new clusters also contributed to the daily numbers, including the Lorong Karamunsing cluster with a total of 28 cases (10 detected today).
This is a workplace cluster involving the index case, a staff member of an electronics store, who had spread the virus to his family and on to Putatan, Penampang and Tuaran.
The index case – a man who fixes laptops – tested positive after experiencing fever and losing his sense of smell. He then went for a screening on May 9.
A total of 89 samples of close contacts have been taken at his workplace, with 28 testing positive (including 10 new cases today), 51 negative and 17 awaiting results.
The Health Ministry has ordered Karamunsing Kompleks to close for disinfection works.
Other than the Lorong Karamunsing cluster, three other clusters are the Jalan Pengalat Lok Kawi cluster in Papar involving an index case, a male CCK Fresh Mart Sabindo factory worker, detected positive on May 18. A total of 15 others tested positive in this cluster.
The Jalan Tun Fuad cluster in Kota Kinabalu – a workplace cluster involving a male construction worker at Hyatt Centric Hotel construction site here – stems from a case found on May 15. Ten other individuals, including those from other districts, subsequently tested positive.
The Jalan Kretam Silimpopon cluster in Kalabakan involves an index case of a male factory worker in the Silimpopon palm oil estate. A total of 41 more cases were detected in this cluster. The index case is believed to have contracted the virus from a Mother’s Day ceremony in Silimpopon Church in the estate.
Meanwhile, Masidi said occupancy rate for Covid-19 patients in Sabah is at 15.6%, with 620 active cases, including 315 patients in low-risk quarantine and treatment centres and 301 receiving treatment in hospitals, of which 39 are in intensive care and 23 require ventilators.
Sabah has recorded 59,909 Covid-19 cases to date. – The Vibes, May 20, 2021
