KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — The Health Ministry announced today that another Covid-19 cluster has been found in Sabah, this time in Sandakan. 

The new cluster with five linked cases so far emerged barely two days since the latest of the previous clusters was detected.

Dubbed the Kuarters cluster, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the latest cluster was identified following screenings done in the Tongod district within Sandakan after a medical worker tested positive through a Rapid Test Kit Antigen (RTK-Ag) screening on September 4.

"The patient was screened as a referral at the hospital but the RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) test result was found to be negative.

"Screening throughout the Tongod district began on September 6, involving local communities and medical personnel from the local public health clinic.

"All of the five positive cases involved Malaysians and were asymptomatic. They have been admitted to the Hospital Duchess of Kent, Sandakan for treatment,” he said in a statement here.

Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 117 individuals have been screened to date, with the aforementioned five testing positive and 112 more awaiting their results.

He also said all patients scheduled for appointment at the Tongod health clinic have been referred to nearby health clinics.

"The cause of the infection is still being investigated and medical services at the Tongod health clinic will resume after disinfection measures have concluded,” he added.

On September 19, Dr Noor Hisham had announced the emergence of a new Covid-19 cluster — the Bakau cluster — that was detected in Semporna, Sabah.