Birthday party sparks new Covid cluster in Sabah

A birthday party held during the movement control order (MCO) 3.0 period has triggered a new Covid-19 cluster in Sabah, with 19 positive cases reported so far.

State Local Government and Housing Minister Masidi Manjun said the Serudung Baru cluster in the Mukim Balung area in Tawau was linked to a party held at the house of the index case, a 60-year-old man whose family members had attended the event on June 12.

He said the man tested positive for Covid-19 on June 16 at the Apas Balung health clinic after experiencing symptoms since June 13.

“Following close contact screening on June 20, nine people who were among the guests at the party tested positive for the virus. To date, nine more positive cases have been recorded, bringing the cumulative total for the cluster to 19,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Sabah Covid-19 spokesman said a 35-year-old male supervisor had become the index case of a new cluster involving a group of oil rig workers at the Kikeh FPSO Platform where he worked.

Masidi said the index case of the Samedra cluster in Kota Kinabalu started showing symptoms on June 12 and was confirmed positive after undergoing screening at a private clinic on the same day.

“Another 24 of his colleagues were later confirmed positive, bringing the cumulative cases to 25.”

Overall, Masidi said 166 new cases were recorded in Sabah yesterday, bringing the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases in the state to 67,707, with two deaths reported in Tawau.

The state recorded 265 recoveries, bringing the cumulative total to 65,238, while 1,586 patients are still receiving treatment, from which 468 are in hospitals, 1,116 are in quarantine and low-risk treatment centres, and two are in detention centres.