20,000 screened in Sabah including healthcare workers

By Olivia Miwil - May 28, 2020 @ 11:24am

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Health department (JKNS) has conducted Covid-19 screening among workers at hospitals and high risk localities to improve its surveillance system.

Its director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi said the surveillance system is important as it provides significant data such as past incidents, severity of the disease and mortality rates.

"Screening activities were conducted among healthcare staff, security guards and support service workers following the Covid-19 cluster incident.

"It was found that 43 out of 4,584 personnel tested positive for Covid-19," she said in a statement.

As for the population at high risk localities in eight districts, JKNS had taken 16,794 samples from which 30 showed signs of infection.

To date, Sabah recorded 344 cases with an additional import case that arrived in Tawau from Kuala Lumpur.

The woman, who returned to the state with family members, was quarantined upon arrival and admitted to the district hospital for further treatment.

On May 26, 1,486 passengers from 16 flights were screened at the airports, including 142 at Merapok-Sindumin in Sipitang and 312 at the Menumbok ferry terminal.

Meanwhile, Dr Christina added that the department has introduced new changes to its services which include designated lanes for staff and clients, screening and filling up of declaration forms, as well as having to practice social distancing.

"Those measures will be the new standard operating procedures at the health facilities in the state and we hope that the public will cooperate."