73 infected in yet another Sabah school cluster

 

The Jalan Pertukangan cluster in Sabah is the state’s third involving schools within a week, after the Puri Ranau and the Jalan Kepayan Lama clusters.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah recorded another Covid-19 cluster involving a school after 73 students were found infected in the east coast Sandakan district.

State local government and housing minister Masidi Manjun said a 16-year-old boy was identified as the index case of the Jalan Pertukangan cluster.

He said the boy, who is staying at the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sandakan hostel, began experiencing symptoms on Jan 16 and tested positive later the same day.

“Further close contact screenings found another 72 to be infected,” he said in his Covid-19 analysis report today.

All patients have been classified under Category 1 and 2, and are receiving appropriate treatment, he added.

This is the third cluster involving schools within a week. Yesterday, the Puri Ranau cluster saw seven students infected with the virus at SMK Ranau.

A 19-year-old girl was the index case.

Last Saturday, SMK Tambunan sparked the Jalan Kepayan Lama cluster with more than 30 students testing positive for Covid-19.

Masidi said the cluster today pushed the new daily infections in the state to 242 up from 201 yesterday. - FMT