Sabah firms can now buy own vaccines
Published on: Saturday, July 31, 2021
By: Anthea Peter
.jpg "Sabah firms can now buy own vaccines")
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government on Friday decided to grant permission to all companies and industries in Sabah to purchase Covid-19 vaccine directly in order to expedite inoculation of employees.Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun (pic) said this includes the Pfizer BioNTech, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.
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He said this would enable immunisation programmes to be conducted for employees at their workplaces that would become temporary vaccination centres.
“The State Health Department will help facilitate private clinics to implement immunisation programmes at their respective workplaces or estates,” he said in a statement, Friday.
Sabah’s Covid-19 cases hit a new four-digit high of 1,066 cases on Friday, the highest this year, and six deaths were recorded throughout the State – three in Beaufort and one each in Sandakan, Kudat and Penampang.
Masidi said 60 per cent of the caseload was made up of close contacts with 640 cases, followed by 157 cases from symptomatic screenings, 157 from clusters, 51 from targeted screenings and 61 from other screenings.
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“Kota Kinabalu, which topped the list with 206 cases, recorded the highest number of close contacts with 125 cases,” he said.
He added that 77.86 per cent of the caseload were in Category One and Category Two, with 345 cases and 485 cases respectively, which are asymptomatic to mild cases that do not require hospital treatment.
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Masidi said some 545 Covid-19 patients were discharged from the hospital while 3,984 patients are currently receiving treatment at hospitals and low risk quarantine and treatment centres (PKRCs).
Meanwhile, two clusters were identified in Tawau and Ranau, namely the Batu Dua Cluster and Jalan Gunsapau Cluster.
The Batu Dua Cluster involving workplace transmission at a bakery was sparked by a 58-year-old man from Baru 2 Lorong Habib Abdul Rahman, who was tested positive at a private hospital on July 17.
“Close contact screening found three same-household members positive, including his child who works at the bakery. Workplace screening found another eight employees positive,” said Masidi.
He added that out of 66 screened contacts, 27 were found positive, while three were tested negative and 36 test samples are awaiting results. The Gunsapau Cluster, involving community transmission, stemmed from a 24-year-old female who was tested positive on July 21.
Another four of her contacts tested positive on July 22 through symptomatic screening, as well as contacts in Kg Pugi Gunsapau, Ranau, Kg Nawanon and Kg Tagibang in Kota Marudu.
“164 samples were screened and found 64 positive, while the remaining 100 samples were tested negative,” said Masidi.
Meanwhile, 22 localities will be placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) from Aug 1 to 14, namely Kg Tempasuk 1, Kota Belud, Kg Tengah Padang, Putatan, Kg Babagon, Penampang and two KK localities (Taman Sempelang, Sembulan and Kg Sembulan Tengah & Lama)
Also included are three Kudat localities (Kg Seri Aman, Taman Orkid and Kg Damaran Banggi), three Sandakan localities (Kg Lupak Meluas Darat, Kg Sundang Laut, Taman Sejati Flat and five Keningau localities (Kg Bariawa Laut, Kg Baitah, Kg Panagatan Ulu, Kg Kota Ayangan and Rumah Kongsi Jutaya Lingkudau)
Six Tawau localities are also included, namely Bandar Sabindo, Kg Rancangan Sg Tongkang, Taman Kukusan, Batu 2 Lrg Habib Abdul Rahman Jln Apas, Sri Semarak People’s Housing Project (PPR) and Taman Berjaya.
The EMCO in Kg Siansai Dundau, Kota Belud will be extended starting Aug 1 to 14, while four EMCOs will be lifted, namely in Taman Ehsan PPR in Kudat, Kg Naruntung in Pitas, Kg Pinalobuh Bukid in Kota Belud as well as Ladang Await KLK Lungmanis and factory quarters in Mukim Silabukan, Lahad Datu.
On Sabah’s National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, under phase two, 35,007 individuals received their first dose, bringing the tally to 721,377, while 2,049 received their second dose, bringing the tally to 329,466.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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