Full lockdown unlikely though Covid-19 cases hit record high in Sabah

 

Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the figure mostly consisted of backlog cases and did not necessarily reflect test results in the last 24 hours. - NSTP file pic

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is unlikely to impose a full lockdown despite the high number of Covid-19 new infections at 3,376.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the figure mostly consisted of backlog cases and did not necessarily reflect test results in the last 24 hours.

"Of the 3,376 new cases recorded today, 2,130 are backlog cases, comprising of 430 or 12.7 per cent from five days ago, 414 (12.3 per cent) from four to five days ago and 1,286 (38.1 per cent) reflecting results from two to three days ago," he said in a statement.

The state has been consistently reporting more than 2,000 daily infections over the past weeks, indicating that the coronavirus has spread within the community.

Earlier, a screenshot text purportedly from Masidi went viral on social media in which it claimed that Sabah might go for a total lockdown next week and urged Sabahans to be prepared.

However, the said message had been confirmed as fake.

Masidi also said a new workplace cluster, the "Sungai Pin 3" in Kinabatangan, had emerged at an oil palm estate in Mukim Sukau.

"The index case was a 51-year-old female worker who tested positive at the Batu Putih Health Clinic on Aug 9, having experienced symptoms since July 27.

"Eighty-three screenings were conducted on close contacts and 55 tested positive. Covid-19 sampling and disinfection are still ongoing to assess the possibility of wide infection risk to other estate workers," he said.

Overall, Masidi said close contacts continued to be the largest contributor with 2,094 cases, making up 62.03 per cent of the caseload, while symptomatic cases accounted for 23.19 per cent of the caseload with 783 cases.

Today's new cases comprised 2,942 Malaysians and 434 non-Malaysians.

Out of the tally, 1,136 are unvaccinated and 1,276 were vaccinated; from the latter, 659 had been inoculated once and 617 were fully vaccinated.

"Almost 65 per cent of those infected were in the age group of 17-59 years, 19 per cent (639) between the ages of 6-17 years, 296 (8.8 per cent) between 1-5 years and 227 (6.7 per cent) aged 60 years and above.

"A total of 3,316 or 98.2 patients are from Categories 1 and 2 (asymptomatic or have mild symptoms). Seven patients were in Category 3, one in Category 4 and 10 and Category 5," he said.

As of Monday, 53.3 per cent of Sabah's adult population have received one dose of vaccine and 31.4 per cent have completed their two-dose inoculation.

The state also registered 17 fatalities – six in Sandakan, four in Tawau, two each in Kota Kinabalu and Kinabatangan, and one each in Semporna, Sipitang and Tambunan. - NST