KOTA KINABALU – A total of 153,250 workers at 1,160 estates and 33,034 plantations of oil palm smallholders in Sabah have been ordered to undergo Covid-19 screening within 30 days beginning yesterday.
Chief Minister Datuk Hajiji Noor said the order was issued as the number of Covid-19 cases involving the oil palm sector in Sabah is currently at an alarming level.
He said six clusters involving the sector have been identified as a result of the screening programme organised by the Social Security Organisation for foreign workers.
“Of these six clusters, 254 positive cases were detected involving workers, their family members, and symptomatic individuals who do not work at the plantations,” he said in a statement today.
Hajiji said any plantation with Covid-19 cases will be closed immediately to ensure preventative work can be carried out, while its reopening is subject to a Health Ministry assessment.
Meanwhile, Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said 64 students from SMK Tulid in Sook have been identified as close contacts of a teacher and students of the school who tested positive for Covid-19.
“All of them are currently undergoing quarantine at the Keningau Institute of Teacher Education,” he said at the daily press conference on the development of Covid-19 in the state here last night.
Masidi said initial investigations carried out on the positive cases reported at the school found that they might involve community infections that are not from the school.
As such, he said there is no necessity to close the school as disinfection activities were carried out by the Keningau Health Office immediately after receiving report on the matter on Sunday, adding that the school session will run as usual with strict compliance with the standard operating procedures.
On the development of Covid-19 in Sabah, Masidi, who is also state’s official Covid-19 spokesman, said a total of 348 new cases were recorded yesterday, taking the cumulative number of positive cases in the state to 47,139.
He said there were three Covid-19-related fatalities yesterday – two in Sandakan and one in Beaufort.
“A total of 400 patients have recovered and were allowed to be discharged, bringing the cumulative number of recoveries in Sabah to 42,806,” he said. – Bernama, January 25, 2021
