Sabah students, teachers test negative, no new cluster - Health DG

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said at the moment there are two positive cases involving schoolchildren reported in Sabah.

He said the first one involved a student who did not attend school but was detected positive while being treated for fever.

"The other (second) case was detected (because) she has complications from burns and was referred to a hospital. Despite that, we did a sampling at the school but no students or teachers there are infected.

"So there is no cluster from the school, both children have been admitted to hospital and are receiving treatment. Rest assured there is no cluster in the school," he said at the daily press conference on COVID-19 here today.

Yesterday, Sabah Health Department (JKNS) director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi reportedly said a student was among four individuals confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on July 27 in Sabah.

She said the pupil, referred to as the 389th case, was currently being treated at the Likas Women and Children's Hospital.

Meanwhile, on the closure of tabika (kindergartens) and taska (daycare centres) in Kubang Pasu following the spread of COVID-19 involving the Sivagangga Cluster, Dr Noor Hisham said the most important thing now is to disinfect commonly used areas.

He said the Health Ministry is doing public health interventions and 70 people awaiting results have been placed under Persons Under Surveillance (PUS) to observe quarantine at home.

"Up to July 30, 143 were screened where six tested positive, 67 returned negative and 70 more are waiting for their results and placed under home quarantine and supervision," he said.

It was reported yesterday that a total of 73 tabika (kindergartens) and three taska (daycare centres) under the Community Development Department (Kemas) in Kubang Pasu were ordered closed to contain the infection.