A health worker conducts a Covid-19 swab test at Dewan Seri Siantan in Gombak May 19, 2021. – Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
KOTA KINABALU, Feb 20 — Sabah’s new Covid-19 cases decreased by 352 to 5,007 today, said the state’s Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
He said of the new infections, 606 cases involved children under the age of 11 who were not eligible or had not received vaccination.
“Of the 606 children, 42 are babies under one year old,” said the Local Government and Housing Minister.
He said the number of daily cases were still high and the large percentage of sporadic infections within the community was an indication that Sabah’s cases would remain high for the near future.
“Today, 63.13 per cent or 3,161 out of the 5,007 new cases stemmed from sporadic infections.”
Masidi said symptomatic cases caused by sporadic infections made up the highest category of infections in 21 of the 27 districts in Sabah.
He said Kota Kinabalu continued to record four-digit cases at 1,265, while 12 districts registered three figures namely Penampang (719 cases), Tuaran (466), Papar (398), Tawau (355), Sandakan (250), Kota Belud (214), Beaufort (185), Putatan (167), Keningau (161), Kota Marudu (129), Ranau (121) and Lahad Datu (113).
Fourteen districts recorded double-digit cases.
Meanwhile, he said Kayul Cluster, a community cluster in Kuala Penyu, and Pandan-Pandan Cluster, a school cluster in Putatan, ended on Sunday.
There are 41 remaining active clusters in Sabah.
Masidi said a new school cluster was detected, named Jalan Beluran Lama in Beluran, which involved students at SMK Beluran hostel.
The index case was an 18-year-old male student who tested positive through symptomatic screening on February 17. Another 34 positive cases were found through close contact screenings, bringing the cumulative cases to 35. All cases have been isolated and given treatment, while asymptomatic close contacts were ordered to undergo quarantine.
Meanwhile, he said 4,986 or 99.58 per cent of the new cases fell under Category 1 and 2, five in Category 3, 13 in Category 4 and three in Category 5. — Borneo Post