Covid-19: Sabah’s daily case numbers remain above 5,000

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s daily Covid-19 case numbers continue to hover above 5,000 and authorities say this is because the disease is spreading among the community.

State Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Masidi Manjun said the state recorded 5,359 new cases on Saturday (Feb 19) with 61.4% of the cases having an undetermined source of infection.

“The high number of daily cases is due to infections in communities that have become difficult to control because the cause and place of the infection are unknown,” he said.

He advised people that the only and best way not to be infected was to avoid being in crowded groups such as crowded public places and follow standard operating procedures (SOP) and advice from the Health Ministry.

“With high number of sporadic cases in Sabah, it is relatively easy to predict that the number of daily cases in the near future will remain high,” Masidi warned.

He said Kota Kinabalu remained as the district with the highest number of daily cases with 1,362, followed by Penampang (583), Tuaran (494), Putatan (457), Papar (293), Lahad Datu (244), Tawau (243), Beaufort (233), Sandakan (207), Kota Belud (203), Keningau (166), Kota Marudu (150) and Ranau (147).

Masidi said that districts with record numbers of new cases reflected the high percentage of sporadic infections.

The percentage of sporadic infections in Kota Kinabalu was almost 62.5% of the total new cases, Penampang (64.1%), Tuaran (56.3%), Putatan (75.5%), Papar (56%), Lahad Datu (62.3%), Tawau (73.6%), Beaufort 68.2%, Sandakan 83%and Kota Belud 60.6 %, he added.

He said 673 children below the age of 11 were also infected by the virus, reiterating his call for parents to vaccinate their children aged five to 11.

“It will help reduce the risk of infection or the effects of a more serious infection,” he said.

Of the 5,359 new infections Saturday, 5,341 patients or 99.66% were in Category 1 and 2, nine people in Category 3, four people in Category 4 and five people in Category 5.