KOTA KINABALU: Individuals with Covid-19 symptoms should seek immediate medical treatment if they cannot do self-screening.
Sabah's Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said this is to prevent infection to others near them, including family members, unknowingly.
"Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms must immediately do a self-screening or go to the nearest health centre for a Covid-19 screening test and undergo immediate isolation or quarantine.
"Lately, many infections have occurred unnoticed by carriers who are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms," he said in a statement.
Today, Sabah recorded 2,638 new Covid-19 infections. Most of the patients either had light or no symptoms.
"1,550 patients (58.8 per cent) fell under Category 2 (mild symptoms) while 991 patients (37.6 per cent) under Category 1 (asymptomatic).
"12 patients are in Category 3, six in Category 4 and seven in Category 5," he said adding that some patients had yet to be categorised.
Masidi said 1,639 cases or 62.13 per cent of the new infections were detected through close contact screenings, 611 cases (23. 16 per cent) from symptomatic screenings, 207 cases (7.85 per cent) from other categories, 159 cases (6.03per cent) from clusters, and 22 cases from targeted screening.
He reiterated that the high caseload does not reflect test results known in the last 24 hours.
"As we have said previously, the cases confirmed daily are not those that only happened within the last 24 hours.
"Some 14 per cent (369 cases) are a backlog of cases from over five days back, 14.3 per cent (378 cases) are those (around) four days and 33.8 per cent (892 cases) are those over two days old," he said.
On the daily cases, he said Kota Kinabalu recorded an increase of 241 cases to 883 new infections, 66 per cent of which were detected through close contact screenings and 25 per cent from symptomatic screenings.
"Tawau recorded 259 cases, followed by Penampang 210, Tuaran 193, Sandakan 178, Kinabatangan 111, Putatan 94, Beaufort 89, Keningau 82, Lahad Datu 73, Kota Marudu 71, Kota Belud 56, Papar 49, Tongod 42, Sipitang 40, Ranau 32, Nabawan 28, Kunak 24, Tenom 24, Pitas 23, Kalabakan 17, Beluran 15, Kudat 14 and Telupid 12.
"Only Semporna, Kuala Penyu and Tambunan recorded a single digit of the Covid-9 case," he said.
Meanwhile, an elderly man who travelled to Sandakan to seek medical treatment sparked a new cluster in the state dubbed Kampung Penangah in Tongod.
"The index case was a male farmer, 76, with a history of high blood pressure and skin problems.
"He was confirmed positive for Covid-19 at the Penangah Health Clinic on Aug 17, after experiencing symptoms of fever, cough and headache.
"Early investigation found the man travelled from Tongod to Sandakan on Aug 12 to seek treatment for skin disease and showed symptoms on Aug 15.
"Following investigations, we detected 14 positive cases among close contacts around the man's residence.
"To date, this cluster has recorded 35 positive cases because of screening against 76 individuals," he said, adding that Covid-19 sampling and disinfection are still being carried out.
The state also registered 16 fatalities – eight in Kota Kinabalu, three in Tawau, two in Keningau and one each in Penampang, Papar and Putatan.
Masidi said as of Saturday, 51.7 per cent of the targeted adult population in Sabah had received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 29.3 per cent have completed both doses.
The Sabah government set a target of reaching 60 per cent full inoculation of its adult population by Sept 21 and aspire to reach herd immunity as early as Oct 31.