KOTA KINABALU, July 8 — Failure to comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) during video game activities among youths was the cause of the Lumadan Cluster in Beaufort which has recorded 46 Covid-19 cases to date.

Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the index case involved a 19-year-old man who tested positive in Beaufort on June 29 after suffering from fever and cough since June 24.

"This cluster involves infection among family members and colleagues from various localities around Mukim Lumadan (Beaufort). A total of 110 screening tests were conducted with 46 positive cases detected in this cluster,” he said in a statement tonight.

Meanwhile, another new cluster recorded today is Istimewa Dua Cluster in Sandakan which involved 27 positive Covid-19 cases to date after screening tests were conducted on 261 individuals in the area.

"This cluster involves an infection in the community in the Kampung Istimewa locality in Sandakan involving the index case of a 48-year-old man who was detected positive on June 25 in Sandakan, the same village that had recorded a cluster on Nov 14,” he said.

Masidi, who is also the Sabah government spokesperson on Covid-19, said Sabah today recorded 279 new cases, making a cumulative total of 71,468 cases, while 203 people recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 68,739. — Bernama