Three new Covid-19 clusters recorded in Tawau

29 July 2021

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Community infections have triggered three new Covid-19 clusters in Tawau today.

Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said that the Batu Keramat cluster was believed to have started from an Aidiladha celebration.

“The index case for this cluster is a 77-year-old man who tested positive through symptomatic screening on July 24 at Tawau Hospital.

“Following the case, close contact screening also found five more positive cases involving the index case’s family members,” he said in a statement today.

According to Masidi, an early investigation found that the index case and his family members went to Kg Tg Batu Keramat on July 20 for the celebration.

“Close contact activity and investigation on the source of infection are still being actively conducted,” he stated.

To date, 18 out of 25 close contacts tested positive in the cluster, including 10 new cases reported today.

As for the Unipark cluster, the index case is a 38-year-old manager from a Globinaco branch in Taman Unipark.

She tested positive for the virus through symptomatic screening at a private hospital on July 19.

“Out of 54 individuals screened, 18 tested positive and five tested negative, while 31 samples are still awaiting results.

Meanwhile, the Lahat-Lahat cluster was detected after a tahlil ceremony was held in Kg Lahat-Lahat on July 19.

Masidi explained that the index case is a 31-year-old who works as an assistant restaurant in Selangor and had returned to Tawau on July 13.

“He tested positive after going through entrance screening at Tawau International Airport and was quarantined at home in Kg Lahat-Lahat.

“As of today, 20 out of 50 close contacts tested positive,” he added.

He added that close contact screening are still actively being conducted as the tahlil ceremony did not record any attendance.

It was found that the index case's neighbours who attended the ceremony also exhibited symptoms upon screening.