Masidi Manjun
KOTA KINABALU(Sept 18): Those who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to take part in more activities in Sabah from Monday.
Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the state government would open up 10 more activities with the restrictions in the tourism sector eased last week.
Masidi said all private sector offices are now allowed to open, and fully vaccinated individuals can have face-to-face meetings, with a 50 per cent capacity.
Contact sports and recreational activities in outdoor and indoor facilities are also permitted.
Individuals or groups can also be involved in fitness activities such as aerobics, zumba and others similar at gymnasiums or fitness centres, with the condition it does not involve more than 30 people or 50 per cent of the venue’s capacity.
“Hiking activities are allowed as well for people individually or in groups under the same condition,” he said in his daily Covid-19 statement on Saturday.
Maritime, land and aviation training centres can now open provided all those involved have been fully inoculated.
For recreational fishing activities, fishing ponds are allowed to operate for 12 hours from 6am for visitors within the same district. Staff and customers must both be fully vaccinated.
“Domestic cruise ship activities within the state’s waters are allowed, with the capacity capped at 50 per cent.
“Factories and shops selling alcohol are permitted to operate but all their staff must have completed their jabs. However, nightclubs, pubs and karaoke joints are not allowed to open,” he said.
Masidi added all institutions of higher learning will be opened in stages to students who have completed their vaccination, adding the actual admissions depended on the respective institutions’ capacities.
He also said that new Covid-19 infections in the state continued to drop when it recorded 1,395 cases on Saturday.
Kota Kinabalu once again topped the list with 160 cases, followed by Sandakan (159), Lahad Datu (127), Tuaran (106) and Kota Marudu (84).
“Sabah’s tally saw a drop of 138 cases (compared to the 1,533 cases recorded on Friday,” he said.
He further disclosed that 16 districts have shown a decrease in cases, with only 11 districts experiencing an increase. Sabah recorded one new cluster, dubbed as the Sawit Safoda Cluster in Kinabatangan, which currently has 23 positive cases.
“The index case is a 32-year-old man who works at the oil palm plantation,” said Masidi.
Close contact screenings remained the main contributor to the new cases, which comprised 59.7 per cent of Friday’s tally.
Sabah had also recorded 13 new Covid-19 deaths.
“Lahad Datu and Putatan recorded three deaths each, Tawau and Kudat recorded two each while Kota Belud, Sandakan and Kinabatangan recorded one fatality each,” said Masidi.
Meanwhile, Kampung Tamu Darat in Kota Belud will be placed under enhanced movement control order (EMCO) from Sept 20 until Oct 3 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The EMCO at the Police Training Centre (Pulapol) in Kota Kinabalu will end on September 19.