KOTA KINABALU: A total of 490 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Sabah Tuesday (Feb 1), of which 251 were detected through symptomatic screening, says Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.

The Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister said the 251 cases, among the highest recorded through symptomatic screenings, represented 51.22% of the total number of infections on Tuesday.

Masidi, who is also the Sabah Covid-19 spokesman, said that the Sandakan district had the highest number of infections Tuesday, with 141 cases, of which 93 were detected through symptomatic screening.

“This (high number of cases from symptomatic screening) indicates that the infection has spread into the community,” he said in a statement Tuesday night.

Masidi also said that Sabah recorded one Covid-19 education cluster on Tuesday in Jalan Apas Batu Lima in Tawau, involving 12 cumulative cases so far.

He said the cluster involved Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Tun Mustapha hostel students, with the index case being a Form Five female student who tested positive on Jan 26, adding that asymptomatic close contacts had been quarantined.

Meanwhile, Masidi said there were 252 recoveries on Tuesday and 825 patients were still being treated. – Bernama