KOTA KINABALU: Sabah hit a record 4,374 new daily Covid-19 cases, but almost all patients experienced only mild symptoms.

       Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Masidi Manjun said that 99.45% (4,350) of the cases yesterday were under Categories 1 and 2.

       He said there were two new clusters involving the Kota Kinabalu Prison in Kepayan and a school in Kota Belud district.

       He said the prison cluster involved personnel and prisoners who were infected after a 27-year-old local male prisoner was found positive as he was about to be released.

       Close contact screenings detected 103 prisoners and prison staff members positive.

       All patients were isolated and given further treatment while symptomatic close contacts were given quarantine orders.

       In the Jubi Tambulion Cluster, Masidi said 22 students at the Jubilee Hostel of SMK Tambulion tested positive after the index case involving a 17-year-old male student was detected through symptomatic screening on Feb 12.

       “All cases were isolated and given further treatment and asymptomatic close contacts were also quarantined,” Masidi said.

       He reminded parents to get their children aged five to 11 vaccinated as almost 12% of those infected were children.

       He said there were 208 paediatric patients under the age of five with 314 patients aged between five and 11.

       “It is hoped that all children eligible for the vaccine will get their shots immediately to give them maximum protection from infection,” Masidi added.