KOTA KINABALU, Nov 27 ― Pitas and Kalabakan have been declared red zones after both areas recorded over 40 active Covid-19 cases today, bringing the total number of red zone districts in Sabah to 15.

Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun, who is also the official spokesman for the state government on Covid-19, said that based on a report by the State Health Department, Pitas recorded an increase of four new cases today from yesterday's total of 40, making the district go from an orange zone to a red zone.

He said Kalabakan also recorded four new cases to turn the district, which was previously a yellow zone, into a red zone, with a total of 43 active cases in 14 days.

"Sabah recorded 441 new Covid-19 positive cases today, taking the state’s cumulative tally to 27,679.

"A total of 192 cases, or 43.54 per cent of the new cases, stemmed from close contact screening involving Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Lahad Datu and Sandakan,” he said in a statement today, adding that 738 patients had fully recovered to take the recovery tally in Sabah to 24,519.

A total of 2,027 patients are still being treated, with 663 at hospitals and 1,364 others at the Covid-19 Low-Risk Quarantine and Treatment Centre. A total of 74 patients are in the intensive care unit, with 21 still intubated.

Meanwhile, Masidi said the state government expressed its appreciation to Sarawak-based Samling Timber Sdn Bhd for contributing RM500,000 into the State Natural Disaster Fund to aid Covid-19 victims. ― Bernama