Social gathering activities trigger Covid-19 clusters in Keningau

28 July 2021

By Ilona Andrew

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah today registered three new Covid-19 clusters with a cumulative total of 51 positive cases.

In a statement today, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said all the clusters were registered in Keningau.

The Bayangan cluster involved infections among communities in Mukim Bingkor and Mukim Luangan.

"The transmission was believed to have started through a gathering activity among family members from outside the district.

"The index case is a 38-year-old man who tested positive through symptomatic screening at Keningau Hospital.

"Close contact screening conducted on July 25-27 found positive cases among the index case's family members and social contacts," he said, adding that there are 21 cumulative total of cases in the cluster.

Meanwhile, the Bariawa Laut cluster was first detected when the index case, 36, tested positive through symptomatic screening on July 25.

Masidi said, 13 more close contacts were also found to have tested positive, including five from Mukim Patikang and Mukim Kali.

It was also believed that the transmission in the cluster started from a family gathering, he added.

For the Menawo Baitah cluster, it involves infections in Mukim Seberang, Mukim Lingkudau and Mukim Kuagan (Keningau and Tambunan districts).

According to Masidi, the cluster has a cumulative total of 16 positive cases and was also likely caused by family gathering activities.

"The index case is a 27-year-old who tested positive through workplace screening on July 26.

"It was believed that the virus has spread among the index case's family members and colleagues."