KOTA KINABALU: Sabah on Monday recorded 60 new positive Covid-19 cases and two new clusters in Kunak and Tawau respectively.
A casualty was also reported in Keningau.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun said the cluster in Kunak, named the Sungai Langgas Cluster, involved the community in Kg Langgas.
He said the index case of the cluster was the daughter of an imam at Al-Mansa Mosque, 21, who tested positive after she underwent symptomatic screening at Kunak Hospital on May 4.
“The index case is believed to have contracted Covid-19 from her father and the virus has spread among the congregation.”
Masidi, who is Sabah’s official Covid-19 spokesperson, said close contact screening using real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) since May 7 found five positive cases including the father to the index case and other family members.
Repeat tests using Rapid Test Kit-Antigen (RTK-Ag) between May 10 and 11 uncovered another 11 cases, including two cases from close contact screening and nine cases from targeted screening.
He added that another two cases at Fever Centre Hospital Kunak under the cluster were recorded on May 10, which brought the cumulative total to 19 cases.
Meanwhile, Masidi said a 41-year-old male teacher at SK Pasir Putih had sparked the new Jalan Imam Jalilul Cluster in Tawau, which recorded a total of 11 cases.
He said the teacher, who stayed at SMK Pasir Putih quarters, tested positive after he underwent symptomatic screening on May 7.
Of the 32 close contacts screened, 10 were found to have contracted the virus, including two in SMK Pasir Putih quarters, six in Kg Tg Batu Darat and two in Taman Semarak.
“The index case was believed to have been infected while breaking fast at his brother’s home at Jalan Imam Jalilul, Tg Batu Darat on May 2.
“He could have also possibly contracted Covid-19 while performing solat terawih daily at Jideen Mosque near Tanjung Batu Darat.
“Close contact tracing and investigation on the cause of infection is still ongoing,” he said.
On the other hand, Masidi said 104 Covid-19 patients have recovered and discharged from hospitals.
He said 530 patients were still undergoing treatment, including 244 in hospitals and 286 in Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centres (PKRC).
“There are 42 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) and 23 require ventilators.”