Covid-19: New Sabah cluster involves Pitas fishing community, says Masidi

KOTA KINABALU: A new Covid-19 cluster was reported in Sabah on Friday (July 2) involving a fishing community in Pitas.

The Tanjung Pitas cluster at Mapan-Mapan was discovered when the index case, a 26-year-old housewife from Kampung Naruntung, tested positive for Covid-19 on June 27.

"Further screenings led to 42 more positive cases for this cluster.

"This include the index case's husband, who is a fisherman and sells fish at Kampung Taritipan in Kota Marudu," said state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (pic).

Investigations led to two possibilities of transmission; either the villagers' movements to Pulau Banggi, Kudat in the months of May and June; or the movement of Kampung Naruntung fishmongers who marketed fish in the Pitas and Kota Marudu areas.

"Close contact screening continues for all positive cases," said Masidi in his daily update on Covid-19 developments in Sabah.

Sabah registered 230 new cases on Friday, a decrease of two cases from Thursday.

"The high numbers today were attributed to targeted screenings by the state Health Department at Kampung Landung Ayang, a locality under enhanced movement control order in the Kudat district, which reported 60 cases," added Masidi.