Congregants flouting SOP at mosque trigger new cluster in Sabah

 By Olivia Miwil - May 29, 2021 @ 9:01pm

State Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the Patuma cluster emerged on May 18 after the man, who is also a Grab driver, underwent a test at a private clinic. - NSTP File Pix

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's new Covid-19 cluster today involved a 55-year-old muezzin as its index case.

State Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the Patuma cluster emerged on May 18 after the man, who is also a Grab driver, underwent a test at a private clinic.

"Based on initial investigations, the index case was believed to have been infected from other congregants who had failed to observe the standard operating procedures when they were at the mosque.

"Apart from that, the infection was likely spread by symptomatic congregants who continued to frequent the mosque," he said in a statement.

The cluster has a cumulative of 11 cases with the result of 33 samples still pending.

Sabah recorded 265 Covid-19 cases with significant contributions of 35 cases from Tawau and 46 from Kalabakan.

There are four Covid-19 deaths - two in Kota Belud, one each in Kuala Penyu and Kota Kinabalu.

Also as of today, 92,632 people have completed their second jab of vaccines.

The state has 541,016 or 18.4 per cent of total population registered for the vaccination programme.