PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry's early stages of screening in Semporna, Sabah, has found that five out of 10 people there tested positive for Covid-19.
Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the infection rate in Semporna was the highest among districts in the state.
He said one of the reasons why cases spiked in the district was due to the entry of individuals from neighbouring countries.
"Initially, every five out of 10 people in Semporna tested positive.
"We've (tightened) border control, and make sure local case detection is done.
"We hope we are able to bring down the cases in Semporna, just like how we were able to bring down cases in Kedah once upon a time," he told a press conference today.
Dr Noor Hisham added that the ministry had increased testing and screening in the district, focusing on certain localities and clusters.
"Currently, active case detection and public health intervention was being done.
"The more we screen, the more we can identify."
Semporna currently has 1,030 active Covid-19 cases.