COVID: Selling of illegal lottery triggers one of three new clusters in Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: It is believed that the activity of selling illegal lottery has triggered one of the three COVID-19 clusters detected in Sabah, said state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

The Bata Durok Quarters cluster in Keningau was triggered by the index case, a 69-year-old Malaysian man who tested positive on June 23 and close contact screenings detected 11 more positive cases.

"This cluster involved community transmission in Mukim Lingkudau, Luagan and Patikang in the Keningau district.

"Based on preliminary investigation, this social activity of selling illegal lottery is believed to have been the cause of infections that spread to family members and, eventually, the community," he said in a statement last night.

Also detected today was the Kota Kinabalu Tembok cluster, which was triggered by the high-risk group category at the Kepayan Prison Centre here and involved 34 cases, as of yesterday.

"This cluster involved infections in Kota Kinabalu (31 cases), Papar (two cases) and Penampang (one case)... the index case is a 24-year-old Indonesian inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 on June 17 following a screening of detainees at the prison," he said.

Another cluster recorded today was the Linau Kumpang cluster in Kota Belud which, as of yesterday, has chalked up 30 cases.

"The index case is a 40-year-old Malaysian woman who tested positive on June 13. A further 29 positive cases were detected among family members as well as close and casual contacts," he said.

Based on early investigations, the index case, who is from Kampung Ejuk, was likely to have been infected from the community when visiting her family in Kampung Linau Kumpang on June 10.

Sabah recorded 190 new COVID-19 positive cases today, taking the total number of infections in the state to 68,767 while 150 patients recovered to take the total number of recoveries to 66,681.

-- BERNAMA