LABUAN: Labuan's daily COVID-19 case counts are continuing to fall to levels not seen since late February last year, as this federal territory expands vaccine eligibility to all adults and public health restrictions appear to be finally turning the tide.

Labuan recorded zero cases today, the first time since the pandemic hit the duty-free island. With this good development, its caseload stands at 9,740 with 149 deaths as of today (Aug 14).

Labuan Health director Dr Ismuni Bohari said the first time Labuan recorded cases was on Feb 18, 2020, which involved a young couple.

The wife, aged 22, was from Shandong, China.

As had been reported by Bernama, the couple was detained upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur, after immigration officers found they had visited China, where COVID-19 started, a few days before returning to Labuan.

Upon checks by health officers, they were suspected to have the symptoms of the virus and were referred to the hospital and quarantined.

Based on an investigation, the couple had just returned from Xiamen, China, on Feb. 17, 2020 and boarded the flight to Labuan the next day, From then on, Labuan's COVID-19 daily cases continued to rise and had never recorded zero cases since then.

Dr Ismuni said Labuan moved into Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (PPN), having immunised 91.57 per cent of those listed as eligible for the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK).

"Labuan was earlier among the states and federal territories worst hit by skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, having recorded the highest infectivity rate in the country and with Delta variant cases," he said.

-- BERNAMA