SOP on entry of travellers into Sabah from Dec 1
Published on: Saturday, November 27, 2021
By: Anthea Peter
Kota Kinabalu: The State Government has released detailed standard operating procedures (SOP) on the entry of travellers into Sabah which will take effect on Dec 1.Under the latest SOPs, Malay-sian visitors will no longer be required to take Covid-19 swab tests prior to entering the State, as also announced previously by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor.
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Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said this is on condition that the visitors are fully vaccinated.
“Those unvaccinated or have not completed their vaccinations will be required to take a swab test. Test results are valid for three days prior to departure,” he said in a statement, Friday, adding that quarantine is not required for both the fully vaccinated and non-fully vaccinated/non-vaccinated.
He said visitors who display symptoms upon arrival in Sabah will be required to take a Covid-19 swab test and observe Home Surveillance Order (HSO) until test results are released. If found negative, visitors will be released from the HSO.
Masidi said swab tests are required for international travellers entering Sabah and they would also need to apply for HSO from the Malaysian Health Ministry (MOH).
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“Those who did not get the MOH’s approval for the HSO would need to quarantine at gazetted quarantine hotels or at public training institutes (ILA) prepared in Sabah.
“Those fully vaccinated will need to quarantine for seven days while those unvaccinated or have not completed their vaccinations will be required to quarantine for 10 days,” he said.
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Meanwhile, sporadic infections remain widespread in Sabah despite the caseload dipping below the 500 mark with 486 cases on Friday, compared to 513 the day earlier.
Masidi said 41 per cent of the caseload were sporadic infections, with Beaufort recording the highest percentage of symptomatic cases at 77 per cent.
“In Kota Kinabalu, 43 per cent of new infections were sporadic, including 49 per cent in Penampang and 44 per cent in Kota Belud.
“The community is reminded every day of the need to seriously abide by the standard operating procedures (SOP). The number of sporadic infections is too high, which means infections happen very easily.
“(With sporadic transmissions), we do not know who carries the virus, where, and when the infection occurred,” he said in a statement, Friday.
Masidi said Kota Kinabalu remains the top contributor with 100 cases, followed by Tuaran (45), Kota Belud (45), Penampang (39), Keningau (29), Papar (26), Kota Marudu (23) and Beaufort (22).
“Three more districts in the ‘Empat Serangkai’ group, namely Ranau, Tuaran and Kota Belud recorded a marginal decrease, except for Ranau which recorded a decrease of 30 cases,” he said.
He said 98 per cent of cases are category one and two infections, while two cases are in category three, three in category four and one in category five. Four cases are being evaluated by the State Health Department.
Some 633 Covid-19 patients have been discharged from the hospital while 1,598 patients are currently receiving treatment at hospitals, low risk quarantine and treatment centres (PKRCs), prisons/temporary detention centres and private facilities.
Masidi said 81 patients are under critical care, including 72 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU)/repurposed critical care as well nine in the open ward (high dependency ward (HDW)/acute cubicle), with 29 patients needing ventilator support.
On Sabah’s immunisation programme, Masidi said 4,552 individuals were vaccinated on Nov 25, of which 4,224 were adults and 328 were teenagers.
“As of Nov25, some 2,439,055 individuals have completed their first dose, of which 76.33 per cent were adults. Some 2,387,683 individuals have completed both doses of the vaccine, of which 75.46 per cent were adults,” he said.
He added that 333,668 teenagers have received their first dose, whereas 306,208 teenagers have been fully vaccinated thus far.
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