Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said the State Government will study the root causes of the new Covid-19 wave before considering any entry restrictions.
He said this when asked if there are plans to reinstate the swab test requirement to enter the State and if unvaccinated Sabahans and foreigners are still allowed to enter the State on condition they undergo quarantine for a certain period of time.
“We need to be sure of the root causes of the new wave of Covid-19 infections before we consider any new entry restrictions,” he said.
The State, in its Dec 31, 2021 standard operating procedures (SOPs), announced that both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals (Sabahans and foreigners) returning or entering the State shall be subjected to quarantine for a specified period of time.
The State had also, effective Dec 1 last year, made it no longer a requirement for Malaysian visitors to take Covid-19 swab tests prior to entering the State.
Meanwhile, Sabah’s Covid-19 cases continue to increase with a total of 1,600 cases reported on Monday, an increase by 315 cases compared to Sunday’s 1,285.
A total of 1,587 out of 1,600 cases are in Categories One and Two. There are eight cases in Category Three, five cases in Category Four and no cases in Category Five.
While noting that the numbers of new cases in almost all districts are increasing, Masidi said four districts recorded three-digit cases, with Kota Kinabalu registering 371 (additional 62), Sandakan 322 (additional 121), Tuaran 150 and Penampang 138 (additional 30).
“A total of 15 districts recorded two-digit cases, six districts recorded single-digit cases and only two districts did not record any new cases,” he said.
The total number of active clusters throughout Sabah is 26, including two new clusters declared on Monday. However, only six clusters recorded new positive cases totalling 27.
One of the new clusters on Monday is the Giram Cluster (workplace cluster) in Kunak detected at Ladang Giram, involving a 37-year-old local man who started having coughs and cold on Jan 31.
He went for screening at a private clinic the same day and was found positive. Subsequent screening on his co-workers and family contacts found 19 more positive cases.
The second new cluster is the Jalan Pintas Sembulan Cluster (educational institution), involving a group of students at the Maktab Sabah hostel.
The index case involved a 15-year-old female student living in the dormitory of the school. The student started having symptoms on Jan 3 and underwent a PCR test on the same day and was found to be positive.
She was admitted to the low-risk quarantine centre for further treatment. Subsequent screening on 79 close contacts found 17 students testing positive, bringing the cumulative of positive cases for this cluster to 18.
Those found positive were in the mildly symptomatic category (Category Two) and were sent to a quarantine centre for treatment.
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