Sabah woman who attended funeral sparks Covid-19 cluster; 28 infected

 By Olivia Miwil - February 1, 2021 @ 8:04pm

KOTA KINABALU: A 27-year-old woman who attended a funeral in Sipitang has become the index case of a new Covid-19 cluster in Sabah.

Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the woman, who displayed symptoms, tested positive for Covid-19 at the Kota Belud Hospital on Jan 27.

The hospital is about a four-hour drive away from Kampung Samin in Sipitang, where the funeral was held.

Masidi said the Kampung Samin cluster now has 28 cases.

He also announced the emergence of two new clusters, namely the Kampung Padas Damit cluster in Beaufort, which has 32 cases; and the Ladang Sungai Pin cluster in Kinabatangan, which has 26 cases.

"The state today logged 276 new Covid-19 cases, with 174 or 63 per cent coming from close contact screenings.

"Bed capacity at Covid-19 hospitals currently stands at 1,088 units, 4,033 in quarantine and low-risk treatment centres (PKRC); plus 1,000 units at temporary detention centres," he said in a statement, adding that the bed usage rate is currently at 33.25 per cent.

Masidi added that two PKRC, namely SJK (C) Pai Sheng in Kunak, PPR Batu Putih and a temporary detention centre in Sandakan, have been closed.

The capacity at Intensive Care Units, meanwhile, stands at 79 per cent, with 91 people occupying 115 available beds in the state.