KOTA KINABALU – Sabah is again the state with the highest number of new Covid-19 infections, accounting for 451, or 51.9%, of the 869 cases reported nationwide today.
The state also recorded the most fresh recoveries, at 236 of the total 302.
Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, in his daily update, noted that Sabah has not seen a sharp increase in infections in the last two days.
He said 25% of the spike in cases had been in “confined clusters”, namely prisons and migrant detention centres.
Of the latest infections, 234 are close-contact cases, existing clusters (54), the new Teduh cluster (2) and screening (161).
Dr Noor Hisham said the Teduh cluster in Lahad Datu has been traced to an infected individual who visited virus hotspot Semporna.
“As of October 17, 535 individuals have been screened. Eleven were found positive, while 524 are awaiting their results.”
Four deaths were registered today, all in Sabah. Two were at Queen Elizabeth Hospital here, and one each at Tawau Hospital and Sandakan’s Duchess of Kent Hospital.
On the Dungun cluster in Terengganu, which has 12 cases, Dr Noor Hisham said it is linked to returnees from Sabah.
He said the Health Ministry is expected to hire 1,989 contract staff to beef up manpower in Sabah, which has seen many districts struggling to handle Covid-19 caseloads.
The ministry is in the midst of reviewing applications from 4,474 volunteers, he said.
“The state Health Department has also signed up four private hospitals to assist in the treatment of non-Covid-19 patients – the National Heart Institute, Gleneagles Kota Kinabalu, Tawau Specialist Hospital and Jesselton Medical Centre.”
He said beds in Sabah hospitals’ intensive care units have been increased to 122, of which 72% are occupied, while more than a third of their 180 ventilators are in use.
“We are looking at using ventilators that can be used by two patients at one time,” he said, adding that such devices are being deployed in some coronavirus-hit nations.
Of the fresh cases in the state, 76 are in Tawau, Kota Kinabalu (92), Lahad Datu (42), Tuaran (34), Kinabatangan (2), Sandakan (40), Keningau (3), Penampang (17), Beaufort (10), Putatan (10), Kunak (7), Kota Belud (16), Papar (21), Ranau (6), Tambunan (1), Semporna (73) and Tenom (1).
Meanwhile, Sabah spokesman for Covid-19 matters Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun has urged residents not to panic following the rise in infections.
He said more cases are being detected due to mass screening conducted in 11 red zones, namely Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak, Tuaran, Penampang, Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Papar and Kota Belud.
Those experiencing symptoms or who have been in close contact with Covid-19 patients should immediately get tested, he said.
Masidi also announced that he will hold a daily press conference on the state’s virus situation starting tomorrow. – The Vibes, October 17, 2020
