KOTA KINABALU – A 29-year-old Covid-19 positive man here has infected 53 other people, after participating in prayers at a mosque in Telupid.
State Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the man experienced symptoms a week later and authorities have dubbed the series of infections as the Dua Gamboran cluster.
“The index case had experienced symptoms from July 22 and tested positive with the virus the next day.
“It was believed that he had contracted the virus from his friend from Tawau, who is suspected of being a close contact of individuals positive with the virus at the Tanah Mas FGV estate in Telupid.
“The index case and his friend had conducted prayers in the Telupid mosque for three days starting from July 15.
“A total of 95 people have been screened from this cluster, and 53 have tested positive with Covid-19 including 41 new cases today,” Masidi said during his daily Covid-19 briefing.
He said Sabah also recorded another cluster, the Jalan Corak cluster in Tongod, which started from a 30-year-old housewife who tested positive on July 26, and had infected nine other people around her residential area.
Masidi said the state recorded its second highest figure of daily Covid-19 cases this year today with 1,035 cases.
Today’s figures mark a slight decline from yesterday’s 1,066 cases, the highest this year.
Almost half of the new cases today, 48.02% or 497 cases, were detected from close contacts of Covid-19 patients.
Kota Kinabalu continues to record the highest number of new cases in the state with 212, followed by Tawau (139), and Tuaran (72).
The state also recorded nine deaths today, with two in Kota Kinabalu, three in Tawau, and one each in Tuaran, Putatan, Kudat and Kota Belud.
As of today, Sabah has 154 localities under the enhanced movement control order, with another 22 starting tomorrow and seven localities on Monday.
Meanwhile, usage of the 5,863 beds designated for Covid-19 patients in the state has increased from 69.15% yesterday to 70.89% today. – The Vibes, July 31, 2021
