COVID-19: New cluster detected in Semporna, Sabah

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 -- Another new cluster was detected today, named the Bakau cluster in Semporna, Sabah of which three COVID-19 positive cases were reported. 

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the index case for this new cluster is case 10145, a Filipino woman, who also was the nation’s 129th fatality reported yesterday. 

“She tested positive on Sept 16. Contact screenings were done and two more positive cases were detected, involving one Malaysian and a Filipino. They are being treated at the Tawau hospital,” he said in a statement today. 

Up to noon today, 109 individuals from this cluster have been screened, and preventive measures such as disinfection and cleaning have been carried out at Semporna hospital, while the source of infection is being investigated, he said. 

On the Sungai cluster, Dr Noor Hisham said eight new cases were reported in Kedah, bringing the total of positive cases in this cluster to 73, with 23,935 individuals screened as of noon today.  

Dr Noor Hisham said in Kedah, 23,748 individuals have been screened so far, with 72 positive cases detected, including eight new cases today, adding that in Penang, 142 individuals have undergone screening while 45 individuals in Perlis have been screened with one testing positive for the virus. 

As for the Benteng Lahad Datu (LD) cluster, a new positive case was reported today, bringing the total of cases to 551, with 7,985 individuals tested so far. 

He said in Tawau, 5,975 individuals were screened with 399 of them testing positive, including one new case today, adding that in Lahad Datu, 2,009 have undergone screening (151 positive cases) while in Sandakan, one individual had tested positive. 

“Of the 551 positive cases from this cluster, 272 involve Malaysians, while 279 are foreigners involving Filipinos (185 cases) and Indonesians (94 cases),” Dr Noor Hisham said. 

-- BERNAMA