Mt Kinabalu and park closed after hiker infected

 

The hiker who tested positive for Covid-19 had climbed Mount Kinabalu on Sept 13. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Mount Kinabalu and the Taman Kinabalu area will be closed until Oct 8 for sanitisation, after a hiker who went to the mountain on Sept 13-14 tested positive for Covid-19.

The secretary of Sabah’s tourism, culture and environment ministry, Jamili Nais, said the federal health ministry had issued a closure order to Taman Kinabalu headquarters in Kundasang.

“A Covid-19 centre was opened in Taman Kinabalu for the purpose of contagion prevention operations involving screening tests on the close contacts of the climber, comprising mountain guides, public climbers and park staff, as well as private companies involved in climbing activities.

“A comprehensive decontamination operation will be carried out on tourist facilities along the climbing route to Mount Kinabalu, including Panabalan substation (base camp), during the closing period,” he said in a statement here today.

Following the surge in Covid-19 cases on the east coast of the state, the state park agency Sabah Parks is carrying out sanitisation operations at Taman Bukit Tawau, Taman Marin Tun Sakaran and Taman Pulau Sipadan for seven days, ending Sept 30.

“The three parks will not be open to visitors and the public during the operation.

“Other parks free of symptoms of Covid-19 transmission, namely Taman Tunku Abdul Rahman, Taman Pulau Penyu, Taman Banjaran Crocker, Taman Pulau Tiga and Taman Tun Mustapha are still open to the public,” said Jamili.

He added that the Poring Hot Springs, and Serinsim, Sayab, Monggis and Nalapak substations (outposts) are still free of Covid-19 cases and are open to the public. - FMT