Raya Celebration Tahlil Event Trigger Clusters In Tawau

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The index case in the Lahat-Lahat cluster was a restaurant worker who returned from Selangor.KOTA KINABALU: A Hari Raya Haji celebration and a tahlil ceremony were behind two new clusters in the Sabah east coast district of Tawau today.
Sabah local government and housing minister Masidi Manjun said the recent festive celebration triggered the Batu Keramat cluster while the tahlil event started the Lahat-Lahat cluster.
A 77-year-old man was the index case for the Batu Keramat cluster. He was found infected after a symptomatic screening at the Tawau hospital on July 24.
Close contact screening later found five family members infected.
“Early investigations found that the index patient and his family had gathered at Kampung Tg Batu Keramat on July 20 to celebrate Hari Raya Haji,” Masidi said in his daily Covid-19 statement today.
“As of today, 25 contacts have been tested, with 18 confirmed positive including 10 new cases today.”
Masidi said the index case for the Lahat-Lahat cluster was a 31-year-old man who worked at a restaurant in Selangor but returned to Tawau on July 13.
The cluster was triggered following a tahlil event on July 19.
“The man who was under home quarantine in Kampung Lahat-Lahat in Sebatik Island was confirmed positive for the virus 10 days after returning to the state,” he said.
He added that the man had earlier been screened on arrival at the Tawau airport.
“So far, 50 people have been screened, with 20 confirmed infected. Two were found negative while the remaining test samples are pending.
“Contact tracing is still being carried out because there were guests whose attendance was not recorded,” Masidi said. - FMT

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