KOTA KINABALU, Aug 31 — A gathering during a funeral ceremony in Kampung Nasakot, Ranau triggered a Covid-19 cluster that has since led to 32 positive cases.

Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the index case for the community-type cluster was a 40-year-old woman who tested positive during pre-admission screening at Ranau Hospital on August 20.

On August 12, the index case developed symptoms such as fever, flu and loss of taste and smell but ignored them and attended the funeral of a family member two days later.

"The ceremony went on for seven days with almost the entire village of Kampung Nasakot taking part in it, and this caused the virus to spread among the people of Kampung Nasakot and Kampung Tanid in Malinsau,” he said in a statement tonight.

The state Covid-19 spokesperson said another cluster recorded today was the Jeroco oil palm workplace cluster in Lahad Datu with 58 infections recorded so far.

"The index case is a 27-year-old male factory worker who tested positive for Covid-19 at a private clinic on August 26 after showing symptoms. Most of the cases involve non-citizens who have yet to be vaccinated,” he said.

Masidi said 2,594 new Covid-19 positive cases were recorded in Sabah today, with cumulative cases now at 147,843, while 2,551 recovered cases were reported, taking the number of recoveries in the state to 114,929 people. — Bernama