KOTA KINABALU, July 30 — The number of new Covid-19 infections in Sabah that have been steadily climbing finally breached the four-figure mark today, hitting 1,066.

Today’s new cases are the highest for this year. The state’s Covid-19 cases peaked at 1,199 on November 6 last year.

“As usual, close contact screening contributed the most — 60 per cent with 640 cases. Kota Kinabalu alone had 125 cases of Covid-19 from close contact screening,” Sabah Covid-19 spokesman Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun said today.

“Symptomatic screening recorded 157 cases and the existing clusters contributed 141 cases,” he added.

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Out of today’s 1,066, the state capital Kota Kinabalu recorded 206 cases, followed by Tawau with 171, Beaufort with 87, and Penampang with 82.

Almost all districts saw new cases; excepting Telupid, Nabawan and Pitas.

Two new clusters today — Batu Dua in Tawau and Jalan Sunsapau in Ranau, Kota Marudu, contributed a total of 16 cases.

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Sabah has been recording cases upwards of 700 in the past few weeks. The recent surges are reminiscent of last year’s post-election crisis when the state was averaging three digit cases just under 700 until the November 6 record of 1,199 before dying down.

The state’s strategy is to target and lockdown potential hot spots to prevent a fast curb while it opens up economic activities — dine-in activities has been allowed as of June 29. There are currently 110 active enhanced movement control order areas in the state.

The state is also actively increasing its vaccination programme and averages more than 30,000 jabs per day in the last week.

Masidi also said that the state was concerned with the surge in cases and would discuss the actions required.

“I just had a meeting with the state secretary, federal secretary, Sabah police commissioner, army chief, health director and MKN director. We have agreed on a new policy direction which would be announced soon. The focus is now on accelerating vaccination and not just screening.

“We have just done 50K. Our focus would be to accelerate vaccination especially in localities with many positive cases,” he said.

Masidi also said that 90 per cent of the Covid 19 cases did not require hospitalisation.