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Kota Kinabalu: Sabah recorded another high of 657 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, with nearly 80 per cent stemming from both existing clusters and close contacts.Sabah’s Covid-19 Spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (pic) said the existing prison clusters in Kota Kinabalu and Tawau contributed 245 cases, accounting for 37.3 per cent of the daily caseload. “Also contributing to the caseload are 199 close contacts which is 30.3 per cent. Both clusters and close contacts have contributed 516 cases, or 78.5 per cent of the daily caseload,” he said in a statement, Tuesday. The caseload is also contributed by 71 cases from symptomatic screenings, 47 from targeted screenings and 23 from other screenings. Kota Kinabalu topped the list with 248 cases followed by Tawau with 137 cases. “In KK, 53 per cent (131 cases) are new cases from the Tembok Kota Kinabalu Cluster (Kepayan Prison) and in Tawau, 84 per cent (114 cases) of new cases are from the Tembok Tawau Dua Cluster (Tawau Prison),” said Masidi. Overall, Masidi said 58.9 per cent of the caseload (387 cases) are in category one (asymptomatic) and 33.5 per cent (220 cases) are in category two (symptomatic without pneumonia). “Only one patient is in category three and one in category four. 48 patients are still waiting for their category evaluation,” he said. Some 285 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital while 3,486 patients are currently receiving treatment at hospitals and PKRCs. Sabah’s bed capacity is at 5,926 units with an occupancy rate of 58.83 per cent. Two deaths were recorded in Kota Belud and Tawau while one cluster was identified in Tuaran, named as the Kg Pukak Cluster.

Masidi said it is suspected that the cluster was sparked during a thanksgiving feast (kenduri kesyukuran) which was attended by close families in Kg Pukak. The index patient is a 47-year-old male who had experienced symptoms since July 7 before testing positive on July 9. “Out of 55 contacts screened, 16 were detected positive bringing the cumulative cases in this cluster to 17. The screenings involved close contacts from Kg Pukuk, Kg Pinagon and the Telibong 1 Water Treatment Plant quarters,” said Masidi. Meanwhile, six localities would be placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) starting July 22 until Aug 4, which include four Kota Kinabalu localities, namely Lusera Telipok Sawmill, Kg Mogiding Malawa and Perwira Progressive workers quarters, Kg Sinulihan and University Utama Condominum Phase II. The other two localities are Kg Guruh-Guruh in Sipitang as well as Kg Air and Kg Bokara in Sandakan. Existing EMCOs in two localities would be extended starting July 22 until Aug 4, namely Kg Sri Menanti, Tawau, and the Gaya Island Villages encompassing Kg Pondo, Kg Kasuapan, Kg Lok Urai and Kg Pulau Gaya. To date, there are 88 existing EMCOs throughout Sabah, with KK registering the highest number with 23 EMCOs, said Masidi. On Sabah’s National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, 14 first doses were administered, bringing the total to 65,396 as part of phase one of the programme. No second doses were administered. In phase two, 16,519 individuals have received their first dose, bringing the tally to 445,802 while 4,089 have received their second dose, bringing the tally to 307,655.

7,873 individuals have signed up for the vaccine on Tuesday, bringing the total number of registrants to 1,006,068, which is a registration rate of 36.5 per cent.