COVID-19: 251 out of 490 new cases in Sabah detected via symptomatic screening

KOTA KINABALU: A total of 490 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Sabah on Tuesday, of which 251 were detected through symptomatic screening, said state Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.

He said the 251 cases, among the highest recorded through symptomatic screening, represented 51.22 per cent of the total number of infections yesterday.

Masidi, who is also the Sabah COVID-19 spokesman, said that Sandakan district had the highest number of infections today, with 141 cases, of which 93 were detected through symptomatic screening.

"This (high number of cases from symptomatic screening) indicates that the infection has spread into the community," he said in a statement last night.

Masidi also said that Sabah recorded one COVID-19 education cluster today in Jalan Apas Batu Lima in Tawau, involving 12 cumulative cases so far.

He said the cluster involved Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Tun Mustapha hostel students, with the index case being a Form Five female student who tested positive on Jan 26, adding that asymptomatic close contacts had been quarantined.

Meanwhile, Masidi said that there were 252 recoveries today and 825 patients are still being treated.

-- BERNAMA