Datuk Christina Rundi – file photo
KOTA KINABALU: The State Health Department has identified two new coronavirus (Covid-19) clusters in Sabah, namely the Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital in Likas and the Keningau Hospital.
Its director, Datuk Dr Christina Dr Christina said that the department had been conducting a thorough investigation on infections among health officials for the past two weeks.
“The Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital has contributed to the increase in the number of cases in Kota Kinabalu. Out of the 42 cases here, 24 were from the Tabligh cluster while the other 11 were from the health officials cluster.
“But out of the 11 cases, eight of them were working at the Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital,” said Dr Christina in a statement here on Thursday.
Early investigations revealed that the cause of infection came from outside of the hospital and that the virus was subsequently contracted by several of the hospital staff.
The investigations also showed that there were no infections among the patients as all hospital staff had been wearing protective personal equipment (PPE),” said Dr Christina.
She said there was a possibility that the virus from the Sabah Women and Children’s Hospital had spread to the outside as some of the close contacts of the hospital staff had tested positive for the virus.
Dr Christina assured that the department views this matter seriously and had therefore taken drastic measures to curb the further spread of the virus.
She said that all hospital staff as well as their family members and social contacts would undergo health screenings.
“All the hospital staff will also be asked to undergo quarantine in their respective homes or the premises that had been prepared by the State Health Department,” said Dr Christina.
She advised the public to not worry as the situation is under control and that the department will ensure that health facilities are free from the virus.