KOTA KINABALU, June 18 — Cramped workplace is believed to be the cause of the outbreak of Pintas-Lingkudau cluster infection in Sabah today, said Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun.
Masidi, who is also the state government’s spokesman on COVID-19, said the cluster, which had a cumulative total of 10 cases, was triggered by a 34-year-old woman executive working at an electrical company in Keningau who was tested positive via symptomatic screening last Tuesday.
“This cluster involved transmissions in Mukim (the subdistrict of) Lingkudau, Luagan and Patikang in Keningau district and Mukim Sunsuron in the Tambunan.
“Detection activities, close contact screenings and investigation into the cause of transmissions are still being actively conducted,” he said in a statement here tonight.
Masidi said Sabah recorded 199 new COVID-19 cases today bringing the cumulative total in the state to 67,177 cases, while cumulative recoveries stood at 64,354.
Meanwhile, Sabah Minister of Special Functions, Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd, in a separate statement, said the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) would distribute 4,000 food baskets involving an allocation of RM300,000 to asnaf (tithe recipients) who were affected by the Movement Control Order 3.0.
In addition, he said MUIS will also be distributing one-off aid totalling RM100,000 to the next-of-kin of COVID-19 patients who had died and confirmed by the Sabah Health Department.
“The next-of-kin of patients who have died can apply for the aid through the District Religious Administration officer or refer straight to the MUIS Zakat and Fitrah Division,” he added.
