Covid-19 reaches Sabah's Long Pasia village; residents take cover

By Olivia Miwil - February 8, 2021 @ 10:35am

Some of the villagers from Kampung Long Pasia chose to stay at a little hut, or sulap, at their paddy field for fearing of getting infected by Covid-19. - Photo courtesy of Lait Lakong.

SIPITANG: Some villagers of Long Pasia here escaped to their "sulap", or little hut, when news broke that Covid-19 had finally reached their village.

The community of mostly Lundayeh people was free from the pandemic when the virus hit Sabah early last year.

However, the situation changed after several villagers attended a funeral at Kampung Samin last month and were infected with the coronavirus.

The cluster, dubbed Kampung Samin, was announced on Feb 1 after health authorities detected the index case at Kota Belud Hospital on Jan 27.

Long Pasia villager, Lait Lakong, 48, said those who tested positive for Covid-19 were sent to a multi-purpose hall in Sipitang town.

"There are also primary and secondary school students, including my nieces, who were told to quarantine themselves at home following exposure to an infected schoolmate.

Some of the students from Kampung Long Pasia undergoing home quarantine following exposure to an infected schoolmate. - Photo courtesy of Lait Lakong.

"Those students went to Sekolah Kebangsaan Long Pasia together to access the internet," he said, adding that internet connectivity was bad at their own homes at that time.

Fearing the situation, some villagers have chosen to stay put at their sulap, about less than 5 kilometres from their homes.

Lait said that as it is also paddy harvest season, the people do not mind spending their nights in the fields for peace of mind.

"They only go back to their houses for prayer sessions, which the church will broadcast via loudspeakers, and villagers can listen to from their own homes.

"After that, people return to their sulap to continue their work."