COVID: New cluster in Sabah may be linked to Kaamatan Festival

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is believed to have logged its first COVID-19 cluster related to the Kaamatan festival on May 31, with 40 cumulative cases so far.

State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the Kionsom Kecil Cluster was detected through a symptomatic screening on June 9, with the index case being a 31-year-old man who works at an engineering firm in Inanam.

"A total of 86 individuals have undergone the COVID-19 screening tests, 40 of which tested positive, 12 samples were negative and 34 others are awaiting results," he said in a statement last night.

Meanwhile, Masidi, who is the state government's spokesman on COVID-19, said during the pandemic period, all deaths outside hospital facilities would be considered as COVID-19 deaths until proven otherwise.

"All bodies must be taken to the morgue for COVID-19 screening and those tested positive will be managed according to the set guidelines," he said.

Sabah recorded 184 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the cumulative positive cases in the state to 66,730, with 22 recoveries.

-- BERNAMA