KOTA KINABALU, Dec 22 — Sabah recorded 202 positive COVID-19 cases today, with 11 being detected through a new cluster in Sandakan, bringing the cumulative infections in the state to 239,026.
Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the new cluster, Millenium Saudi Cluster, involved pilgrims from Sandakan who had just returned from performing their umrah and was classified as imported cases.
Masidi, who is Sabah’s spokesman on COVID-19, said the index case of the cluster is a 40-year-old local man who went to Saudi Arabia from Dec 4 to 15.
“He was screened using PCR at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport entry gateway before continuing his journey to Sandakan where he underwent compulsory home quarantine. However, he was informed of his positive PCR result on Dec 17.
“Screenings done on 57 close contacts found 10 more positive cases among the umrah delegation, raising the cumulative total to 11 cases. All the patients and close contacts have been quarantined and given suitable treatment,” he said in a statement tonight.
Masidi said another 457 COVID-19 patients in Sabah had recovered and been discharged from hospital and the Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre, bringing the cumulative figure for recovered cases to 231,123.
Two deaths were reported today, one each in Sandakan and Sipitang, he added.
