KOTA KINABALU – A Covid-19 cluster emerged in yet another medical centre in the state today, after a health personnel working at the centre’s emergency department contracted the virus and infected 14 other workers and close contacts.
Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun in his daily Covid-19 update today said the cluster – named the Simpang Tiga cluster – in Ranau is categorised as one that involves a high-risk community.
The index case is a 29-year-old male health personnel who tested positive on July 18.
So far, 417 people have been screened in this cluster, and the other 14 cases include eight medical staff and six close contacts in Kg Lembah Permai and Kg Sokid Bundu Tuhan.
This is the second cluster involving a medical centre in Sabah this week, after a cluster at Duchess of Kent Hospital in Sandakan was detected last Friday, which involved a 74-year-old male index case who had undergone an X-ray, and infected 12 others, including other patients.
Sabah also recorded five other clusters today – Gipan Kolombong cluster in Kota Kinabalu (40 cases); Jalan Tungu cluster in Lahad Datu (35); Tinabau cluster in Kinabatangan (26); Gerbang Kauran cluster in Keningau (9); and, Kg Sogo-Sogo cluster in Tongod (9).
The state reported 818 fresh infections today, its highest this month.
Kota Kinabalu topped the list with 167 cases, followed by Penampang (77), Keningau (69), Beaufort (66), Sipitang (57) and Tawau (55).
Sabah has no green-zone district left, with only two districts remaining as yellow zones – Nabawan and Tambunan.
Four districts are orange zones, and 21 districts are red zones – over 40 active Covid-19 cases.
In a positive development, Masidi said the state recorded its highest Covid-19 vaccination rate today, with 35,749 doses.
He said he is positive that the number will progressively increase to 50,000 doses a day.
Sabah is expected to get 1,086,760 Covid-19 vaccine doses from the federal government this month, and 1.1 million doses next month. – The Vibes, July 25, 2021
