Covid-19 Watch: Sabah records all-time record high in daily cases

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah registered an all-time record high of daily Covid-19 cases since the vaccination programme began with 3,333 new cases on Wednesday (Feb 9).

Posting this on his Twitter account, minister in charge of Covid-19 matters in Sabah Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun wrote "Record new cases - 3,333 (+1,264). Nearly 52% (1,075) are symptomatic cases, sporadic infections,".

He also advised the public to avoid crowded places with Kota Kinabalu recording 591 new cases, Sandakan 510 new cases, Penampang (324), Tuaran (266), Papar (224), Ranau (196) and Tawau, 191 new cases.

He said a total of 3,318 (99.55%) of the new cases were asymptomatic or only presented with mild symptoms.

Three new clusters - SMK Simpangan (Paitan) in Beluran, SMK Bukit Garam 1 in Kinabatangan, and Institut Pengajian Islam dan Dakwah Sabah (IPDAS) in Keningau, were recorded as well.

Masidi said for Kluster Access Menawo Keningau, the case index was a 21-year-old hostel student of Institut Pelajaran dan Dakwah Islam Sabah (IPDAS).

She fell ill on Feb 6 and was tested positive for Covid-19 the same day while her close contacts were tested positive in subsequent days, he said.

He said for Kluster Simpangan Paitan, this started when a female hostel student from SMK Simpangan showed signs of having contracted the virus on Feb 4.

Masidi said she was tested positive on Feb 6 while her hostel mates and other close contacts tested positive thereafter.

An 18-year-old female student in SMK Bukit Garam sparked the Bukit Garam cluster after she fell ill on Jan 28, and tested positive on Feb 6, he said.

A total of 46 of her hostel mates and the school staff had also contracted Covid-19, he said.

"All these patients in these three clusters are categorised under stage one and two of the virus and have been isolated as well as given the necessary treatment," said Masidi.

He said 22 out of the 30 active clusters in Sabah were education related.