KOTA KINABALU: Two additional laboratories equipped to test samples for Covid-19 are expected to start operating next month, says Datuk Masidi Manjun.
Sabah's minister in charge of Covid-19 said the labs would be located in the Tawau and Lahad Datu hospitals, with a capacity to test up to 200 samples a day each.
Masidi said at the state's daily Covid-19 briefing on Tuesday (Nov 3) that the labs would be set up with allocations by the federal Health Ministry.
“Sabah will also be getting an additional 200,000 units of rapid test kits, out of which 117,825 have been distributed to district clinics and hospitals statewide, ” he said.
He also said a temporary Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test lab had been set up at the Kubota Health Clinic in Tawau and added that it will be fully operational by next week.
On Sabah’s Covid-19 cases as of Nov 3, Masidi said 678 new cases were recorded with 229 cases coming from the Temporary Detention Center in Menggatal and the remaining 42 coming from the Kepayan Prison cluster.
A total of 12 deaths, nine in Kota Kinabalu and one each in Tawau, Sandakan and Kudat were reported.
“Tawau recorded a 135-case increase while Tuaran recorded 48 new cases, ” he said.
Masidi said districts like Sandakan and Semporna recorded 34 and 19 new cases respectively, while 18 new cases were detected in Putatan and Lahad Datu, 17 in Penampang, nine each in
Papar and Keningau, eight in Kudat, six in Kinabatangan and four in Kota Belud.
“There are three new cases in Tongod and two each in Kota Marudu, Telupid and Beluran.
Beaufort, Kuala Penyu and Sipitang recorded a new case respectively, ” he said.
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