Covid-19 situation in Sabah improving, says minister

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s Covid-19 situation appears to be improving judging by the downward trend of daily infections, said Masidi Manjun.

The state local government and housing minister said the 872 cases recorded over the last 24 hours – 121 cases fewer than the day before – were consistent with the increasing number of people receiving vaccine shots.

He said backlogged cases had also dropped, with only two cases registered more than five days earlier, 30 cases in the preceding four to five days, and 343 cases registered two to three days late.

“The number of Category 3, 4 and 5 patients has also reduced,” he said in an early Covid-19 analysis report today.

There were currently only five Category 3 patients, and four each in Category 4 and Category 5 requiring hospital treatment.

At the same time, he said, there were 165 patients under Category 1 and 642 under Category 2 in hospital.

“The downward trend is consistent with the rise in the percentage of the population who have completed their vaccination.

“Although people can still get infected, in general, they will not have serious symptoms, which normally happens with unvaccinated patients.”

As of Sept 29, 64.3% of Sabah’s adult population have been fully vaccinated.

On inter-district travel in Sabah commencing under the zonal system today, Masidi said the government would, from time to time, reassess the immunisation programmes in districts which had yet to qualify for the system.

He had said previously that Kinabatangan, Telupid, Tongod, Sandakan, Kalabakan, Tawau, Papar, Semporna and Nabawan would miss out for now as fewer than 60% of adults in those districts had been vaccinated.

These districts would be allowed to join the system when their vaccination rates reached the target. — Free Malaysia Today