KOTA KINABALU – As today saw Sabah soar past the 2,000 mark in fresh Covid-19 cases, it also was the deadliest.
A total of 28 Covid-19 patients died, taking the state’s virus fatality toll to 757 since the pandemic began last year.
Eight deaths were recorded here, while six were logged in Tawau, four in Tuaran, three in Sandakan, two in Kuala Penyu, and one each in Putatan, Keningau, Sipitang, Penampang and Beluran.
For the daily infections, the state Health Department recorded a total of 2,052 new cases, up 538 cases from yesterday’s 1,514 cases.
Out of the number 79.6% or 1,634 cases are those from Categories 1 (720) and 2 (914), with health authorities saying these patients have been sent to low-risk quarantine centres.
However, there had been cases who had been referred for supervised self-quarantined at home as informed by Health Ministry officials and Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
Based on estimates, the number of cases involving mildly symptomatic and asymptomatic patients have exceeded the capacity of beds at quarantine centres.
The Vibes had also reliably learnt through numerous sources that health officials only called on patients to check on the status of patients under home-based quarantine, the number of which is estimated to have already exceeded 12,000 the last 14 days.
There are just over 4,000 beds at the low risk vaccination centres across Sabah.
The daily tally in Sabah for the last 15 days has been over 1,000, with more than 90% of these infections in Categories 1 and 2.
Despite the alarming numbers, Masidi had earlier stated the infection rate in the state is still under control.
He also said in view of today’s numbers, state health authorities will shift their focus to improving the infectivity rate-to-population ratio. – The Vibes, August 12, 2021
