KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — With the 16th Sabah state election in full swing, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced the ministry has mobilised additional medical personnel to the state to reinforce pandemic response efforts.

Taking to Facebook, Dr Noor Hisham said the medical personnel — five health department workers from Selangor and another five from Negri Sembilan — arrived at Lahad Datu, Sabah yesterday.

"All of the frontliners are prepared to dispense their duties in the field in the nation’s effort to curb the spread of Covid-19,” he said.

He said the personnel comprised those from Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah, Hospital Jempol, Hospital Jelebu, Hospital Tuanku Jaafar and Hospital Port Dickson from Negri Sembilan and Hospital Serdang, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, Hospital Kajang and Hospital Sungai Buloh from Selangor.

Malaysia yesterday recorded 111 new Covid-19 cases, with the bulk of Covid-19-positive cases coming from Sabah at 97.

Of the 97, 64 were locals and 33 were foreigners. From that total, 13 came from close contact detection at the Benteng cluster, two cases from the Laut cluster, 74 cases from Bangau-Bangau, two symptomatic cases and one was a severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) patient.

In recent weeks, several new Covid-19 clusters have emerged in Sabah, prompting health concerns over the ongoing state polls.