KOTA KINABALU: People in Sabah who have only received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine can request to be exempted from the rule that requires a person to be fully vaccinated from Covid-19 before entering a premises.

       Sabah Covid-19 spokesperson Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said they could make this exemption application so that they can visit premises, as well as go to work.

       "The employer can apply for temporary exemption with the local authorities by listing the name of workers involved, the date of the first dose and the scheduled date for the second dose," he said in the daily Covid-19 updates on Wednesday (Sept 29).

       Meanwhile, he also announced the extension of business hours for some premises starting Friday (Oct 1).

       "Groceries, convenience stores, mini markets and hypermarkets are allowed to operate from 6am until 10pm.

       "Shopping malls (for permitted subsectors) are allowed to operate from 6am until 10pm.

       "Petrol stations, including the in-house store, are permitted to open from 5am until midnight," he said, adding that food and beverage operators including street food vendors can open from 6am until midnight.

       Sabah recorded 1,000 new cases on Wednesday, up from 965 cases the day before.

       A new community cluster called Mokodou in Ranau contributed to 43 cases on Wednesday.

       "The cluster stemmed from a ceremony to pay respects to the index case's wife who passed away due to cancer on Sept 15.

       "About 60% of Kampung Mokodou attended the event, as well as families from Kg Tumbalang.

       "From the 146 individuals screened, the cluster has 94 cases cumulatively, including the 43 new cases reported today.

       “The number is expected to increase when all screening results are known," Masidi added.