Covid-19: New cases in Sabah up almost twofold to 909

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's Covid-19 cases on Friday (Feb 4) almost doubled from Thursday, with 909 new cases recorded.

Four new education clusters – Jalan Pendidikan cluster in Ranau (25 cases), Sungai Batang Batu Sepuluh cluster in Sandakan (50 cases), along with two clusters in Kota Marudu - Jalan Tandek cluster (35) and Jalan Taman Beringin cluster (25), were reported as well.

Minister in charge of Covid-19 matters in Sabah Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the last time there were over 900 new cases in the state was on Sept 30, 2021.

"Sandakan tops the chart with 185 new cases followed by Penampang (115), Kota Kinabalu (101), Tuaran (86), Lahad Datu (57), Beaufort (57) and Kota Marudu, 53," he said.

He said for the new Covid-19 clusters, the one in Ranau sparked from a 19-year-old male hostel student from SMK Mat Salleh, who became ill on Jan 29.

A Covid-19 self-test was positive and he was quarantined the same day.

Further screening on his close contacts – including hostel mates, friends and teachers – saw another 24 testing positive as of Feb 4, said Masidi.

He said the Jalan Taman Beringin cluster involves a 17-year-old female student who tested positive on Jan 19 before receiving treatment for another illness at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital here.

Her hostel friends, classmates and other school staff members later tested positive when asked to undergo screenings, he said.

"As for the Jalan Tandek cluster, the case index involves a 15-year-old male hostel student who started having symptoms on Jan 15," Masidi said.

He said the boy took an RTK Antigen test on Jan 17 which came back positive and 34 others of his close contacts subsequently tested positive as well.

The cluster in Sandakan involves a 16-year-old female student of MRSM Tun Mohammad Fuad Stephens, who started having a fever on Jan 25.

Her hostel mates, friends, teachers and family were asked to take a test and with 49 positive thus far, said Masidi.

He said all students and their close contacts were categorised under stages one and two and have been isolated and given necessary treatment.

Earlier, he also said that 900 out of Friday's cases were those suffering from stage one and two symptoms of the virus while the rest (nine) are categorised under stages three, four and five.