KOTA KINABALU – No new Sabah districts have been declared a red zone today as the number Covid-19 cases continue to surge in the state due to uncleared backlog samples and discovery of new clusters.
The state’s official spokesperson for Covid-19 Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said there are still 6,653 backlog samples as 16 districts remain in the red as health authorities scramble to contain the deadly virus.
“Efforts to clear up the backlogs will continue to be intensified... Once all of them are cleared, the number of Covid-19 will become more reflective of the real situation. We are hoping that all of these will be cleared in a couple of days.
“The State Health Department has engaged two hospitals to assist them in the backlog, while thousands of samples are flown in to Kuala Lumpur by the Royal Malaysian Airforce,” he said during his daily Covid-19 briefing that was now being done via teleconferencing, today.
Of the 578 new cases reported in the state today, Kota Kinabalu remains the place with the most cases at 233, Masidi said, adding that this was largely contributed by the Kapayan Prison Cluster, identified about three days ago, which account for 156 new cases.
“Of the number, 145 cases involving inmates, 8 prison staff and 1 staff from Papar, a former inmate from Sipitang and one more involving a close contact,” he said.
There are over 2,700 inmates and prison staff at the Kapayan prison and the Matambai prison staff quarters.
Masidi said two new clusters were identified namely, the Cluster Sauh that involve 33 Petronas oil rig workers who tested positive for Covid-19 and Cluster Tinusa at Kampung Tinusa 2 in Sandakan also involving 33 patients.
This brings the total number of clusters in Sabah to 35 clusters.
Meanwhile, Masidi said two more localities will come under total lockdown namely, Taman Harmoni in Sandakan from Oct 23 until Nov 5, and Anjung Teduh, Felda Sahabat in Lahad Datu, from Oct 24 until Nov 6.
The six Semporna localities are Kampung Bangau-Bangau, Kampung Panji, Kampung Air, Kampung Selamat, Kampung Simunul, Kampung Pinggir Bakau in Semporna and one locality in Kunak, namely Kampung Pangkalan.
He also said all the total lockdown six localities in Semporna and one in Kunak will be extended.
Only the Taman Ehsan Prison locality in Tawau the total lockdown will be lifted after health authorities have successfully contained the Covid-19 spread, he said.
On a separate matter, Masidi said 13 teachers, 27 students and two state education department staff had been infected by the Covid-19.
When asked over how the Covid-19 was spread from the Sabah East Coast to West Coast districts, Masidi said preliminary reports from the State Health Department revealed the spread happened due to movement involving voters during the Sabah Election period last month.
Masidi said the single Covid-19 positve case reported in Nabawan reported yesterday could be linked with the Cluster Basung in Kudat, involving the fishing communities in the northern Sabah district.
He said a fish wholesaler from Papar may have got infected with an infected person from Kudat and brought the virus to the interior Nabawan district. – The Vibes, October 22, 2020
