KOTA KINABALU, Aug 4 — The Church of Mary Immaculate (CMI) in Bukit Padang here is closed temporarily until August 18 after one of its parishioners was found to be Covid-19 positive.

Parish priest Father Paul Lo said he was notified by the Health Ministry that a parishioner who attended the morning English mass on July 19 and 26 had tested positive for the coronavirus.

"Though according to the Health Ministry we are not required to close down, we have decided to suspend masses for two weeks from August 5 to 8 for sanitation of our premises and as a precautionary measure,” he said in a notice.

Lo explained that the Health Ministry said the church could continue its services if it wished as it had been found to have adhered strictly to regulations.

"But I feel it is better for us to stop masses for two weeks, beginning tomorrow until August 18,” he said.

He said the decision was made by the church.

Lo said that a name list of some 250 people who attended the masses have been handed over to health authorities.

Sabah currently has some 17 active cases of Covid-19.