COVID-19: Sabah may extend school holidays, get private sector to let employees work from home

KOTA KINABALU, March 15  -- The Sabah government is considering the possibility of extending the current school holidays and getting the private sector to allow their employees to work from home in order to curb the spread of COVID-19.

In appealing to the people to minimise their movements, including avoiding non-essential travel, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said that more measures might be considered.

“I urge the public to stay calm and fully cooperate with the authorities in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. We can overcome this if we all come together to do our part,” he said in a statement today.

Since the first positive case was detected last week, involving a 58-year-old man in Tawau who was among those who attended the Sri Petaling Mosque tabligh gathering in Kuala Lumpur between Feb 27 and March 1, the Sabah Health Department has identified 49 cases in the state as of today.

Health officials in the state have detected more cases from among those who attended the mosque event and steps are being taken to trace the other participants and also the people they have come into contact with over the past 10 days since their return.

“The Health Department and others have been going all out to locate and identify areas that could have been contaminated. 

“They have also taken swift measures, including temporarily closing mosque and suraus in areas that have had COVID-19 cases,” said Mohd Shafie, adding that since Jan 30, the Sabah government had halted the arrivals of tourists directly from countries affected by the virus.

Of the 49 cases reported in Sabah so far, 14 were in Lahad Datu; followed by Kota Kinabalu (nine); Tawau (eight); Kinabatangan (five); Tuaran (three); Kunak, Putatan and Sandakan (two each); Beaufort, Kota Belud; Papar and Sipitang (one each).

-- BERNAMA