Kota Kinabalu: A new workplace Covid-19 cluster involving a foreign worker of an oil palm plantation has been detected in Kinabatangan.Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the cluster, dubbed as the Sungai Trayon Cluster, has recorded 25 cases so far, which contributed to Sabah’s daily caseload on Wednesday that rose to 280 compared to 253 on Tuesday.
He said screening of 382 employees and close contacts saw the detection of 24 more positive cases.
“The index case is an Indonesian male worker (harvester), 48, who tested positive through a RTK-Ag screening test at a private clinic in Sandakan on Jan 9, 2022, after developing symptoms the previous day.
“He was referred to Kinabatangan Hospital for further treatment. Subsequent contact sampling activities found a total of 24 cases among social contacts, employees and dependents, thus making a cumulative total of 25 cases. All cases were isolated and given appropriate treatment,” Masidi said in a statement, Wednesday.
He said some districts recorded higher cases Wednesday and among them are Ranau which added 22 new cases to 33, Papar added 11 cases to 20 and Kinabatangan from one case on Tuesday to 26 cases on Wednesday.
He said 11 districts posted double-digit cases, led by Kota Kinabalu with 53 (up by four), Ranau 33 (up by 22), Kinabatangan 26 (up by 25), Papar 20 (up by 22), Penampang 19 (up by one), Kota Marudu 17 (down by two), Keningau 15 (up by two), Tenom 12 (no new cases), Kuala Penyu 11 (up by four), Tuaran 11 (down by 18) and Sandakan 10 (down by five).
“Tuaran recorded 11 cases, which showed the largest drop 18 cases, compared to 29 on Tuesday.
“Daily cases fluctuate in other districts that occur daily at a marginal rate. Twelve other districts saw single digit-cases and there are no new cases in four districts, namely Semporna, Beluran, Nabawan and Kalabakan,” he said.
Of the 280 cases, Masidi said 276 cases are in Categories 1 and 2, one case in Category 2, two cases in Category 4 and there are no new cases in Category 5. Another case is still under further assessment by Sabah Health Department.
Meanwhile, there is a slight drop of three cases of infections involving children under 12 which recorded 47 cases (not eligible for vaccination) out of the 280 cases compared to 50 cases on Tuesday.
Of the 47, he said there were 27 children aged between six and 11, followed by 17 children aged between one and five, and three infants aged below a year.
He also said only one death was recorded in Tuaran on Wednesday
Masidi said a total of 119 patients recovered and were discharged while 787 were hospitalised, 340 detained at low-risk quarantine centres, two at temporary detention centres and one at a private medical facility.
“A total of 36 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with 12 needing ventilation assistance.
“There are 26 patients who have not been vaccinated in stages four and five,” Masidi said.
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