Covid-19: Sabah sees rise in sporadic infections

 

Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the state recorded 1,752 new infections today and symptomatic screenings contributed 31 per cent or 538 cases. -BERNAMA pic

KOTA KINABALU: The rise of symptomatic cases of unknown origin in Sabah is a stark warning of the need to strictly comply with the standard operating procedures (SOP) and get vaccinated.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the state recorded 1,752 new infections today and symptomatic screenings contributed 31 per cent or 538 cases.

Since early this month, Sabah has registered an upward trend of cases detected from symptomatic screening or sporadic infections, meaning the virus is prevalent in the community and easily spread.

"The high number of positive cases through symptomatic screening is a reminder for all of us to follow the SOP strictly, especially at enclosed places like supermarkets and restaurants.

"This is also one of the reasons why the government introduced the full vaccination requirement for those working and patronising these premises (after the one-month grace period), to reduce sporadic infection risks at place commonly visited by the public," he said in a statement.

Masidi said in the state capital about 33 per cent from 436 new cases were detected from symptomatic screenings, 36 per cent from 111 cases in Tuaran, 31.1 per cent from 228 cases in Penampang, 43.4 per cent from 113 cases in Sandakan and 25.7 per cent from 261 cases in Tawau.

"New patients in Category 2 (mild symptoms) continued to be the largest group at (972) cases or 55.5 per cent of the caseload. This trend is in line with the increase in new cases through Symptomatic Screening.

"Other 376 patients were in Category 1 (asymptomatic), 10 in Category 3, six in Category 4 and three in Category 5," he said adding that some patients had yet to be categorised.

Masidi said close contacts cases were still the main contributor to the increase of daily Covid-19 cases in the state at 1,063 or 61 per cent of the caseload.

"The high number of cases involving close contact is an indication that some of us are still negligent in complying with SOP."

Masidi added that as of yesterday, 20.8 per cent of the targeted adult population in Sabah were fully inoculated, while 44.6 per cent had received their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Sabah also registered 10 fatalities - in Kota Kinabalu (five), Tawau (four) and one in Keningau. - NST