Two more Raya clusters detected in Sabah

Four new Covid-19 clusters were detected in Sabah yesterday with two linked to the recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration, says Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Masidi Manjun.

He said the Kampung Bolong Baru cluster in Tuaran and Kota Belud was triggered by the index case, a 28-year-old housewife who was infected following house-to-house visits during the Aidilfitri celebration. The cluster currently has 33 cases on record.

“The index case from Kampung Bolong Baru (Tuaran) was confirmed positive on May 27. Screenings conducted including at the workplace found 26 positive cases in Tuaran and seven cases in Kota Belud,” he said in a statement last night.

He said another cluster triggered by Aidilfitri celebrations was the Taman Wawasan cluster in Beaufort, Papar and Kota Kinabalu which up until today involves 30 cases of infection from a 66-year-old male index case.

“The index case was confirmed positive on May 18 and a screening of close contacts found two positive cases whereby the close contacts were involved in visits and receptions during Hari Raya in Kampung Tarap, Bongawan. The largest number of transmissions in the cluster was found in Taman Wawasan, Beaufort with 20 cases,” he said.

Meanwhile, Masidi said the Hamparan cluster in Kinabatangan involved 27 infections at the workplace from the index case, a 26-year-old woman who was found positive on May 29. Screening at the place of work at an oil palm factory detected 17 workplace cases as well as infections of dependents.

He said the Jalan Budi cluster in Tawau involved a 37-year-old woman, a beauty saloon worker in Johor who was confirmed positive during a screening at an international checkpoint on June 2 before close contact screenings found nine positive cases among her housemates.

He said the state government had decided that premises selling food, retail and distribution outlets including restaurants, supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience outlets and hardware stores would operate from 7am to 7pm during the movement control order.

“Wet markets are allowed to operate from 6am to 3pm, while petrol stations and convenience outlets at the stations are allowed to operate from 6am to 8pm,” he said.

Masidi said financial institutions and banks are allowed to operate from 8.30am to 5.30pm, while offices of professionals such as accountants, lawyers and engineers are allowed to operate from 9am to 5pm.