Christina Rundi
KOTA KINABALU: The Covid-19 pandemic in Sabah is under control but not over yet, said State Health director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
She said June 20 (Saturday) marked the 100th day of the Sabah Health Department’s fight against Covid-19 in the state.
She said Sabah detected its first positive victim in Tawau on March 12, who passed away in the Tawau Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after 10 days of treatment.
Dr Rundi admitted that the first few weeks of battling against Covid-19 had been extremely challenging for all parties involved.
“The pandemic is a challenge to the capacity of the State Health Department’s facilities, laboratories and manpower.
“The special Covid-19 ward in hospitals are full of patients, our healthcare workers were working round the clock, a total of 72 quarantine centres had been set up, 45 health workers tested positive for the virus which resulted in nearly 700 of them forced to undergo quarantine throughout Sabah at one time.
“The capacity of our laboratories in carrying out Covid-19 test is limited due to the lack of reagents,” she said in her statement on Saturday.
Dr Rundi said Covid-19 also tested the preparedness of all agencies and sectors in facing a pandemic.
“Many agencies and sectors do not have a business continuity plan.
“For the first time in 100 years since the Spanish Flu (1918-1919), the world stopped for a while due to a new disease – Covid-19.”
Nevertheless, Dr Rundi said all challenges had been overcome due to the cooperation between agencies in Sabah.
“Various agencies, companies and the public have assisted the State Health Department by donating PPE (personal protective equipment), laboratory reagents, medical and non-medical supplies as well as food.
“The support from the public to the frontliners motivate us to do the best in our jobs,” she said.
She said the people, who were also affected by the closure of all sectors except for essential services, had given their cooperation despite the challenges they faced.
“The spirit of endurance and solidarity had helped Sabah to curb the spread of Covid-19.
“On the 100th day of our fight against Covid-19 in Sabah, the State Health Department wishes to express our gratitude to all who are on the same journey with us.”
Dr Rundi also urged the people to continue to practise new norms.