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A Number Of Sabah's 182 COVID-19 Cases Are Linked To People Defying The MCO

So far, one COVID-19 patient has died in the state.

Cover image via Abdul Rahemang Taiming/New Straits TImes & Yusof Mat Isa/Malay Mail

There are 182 COVID-19 cases in Sabah as of 1pm Saturday, 28 March

Several of which are linked to people who have not been complying with the Movement Control Order (MCO), according to the state's Health department director Dr Christina Rundi.

New Straits Times reported Dr Christina saying that their investigations into the cases have revealed that several cases of the virus that causes COVID-19 are related to those who defied the MCO.

"The public must treat the MCO seriously, as it is a measure to contain the infection," she added.

Since the MCO came into effect on 18 March, authorities across the state have arrested 13 people for violating the order

According to Sabah Police Commissioner Zaini Jass, the arrests were made between 18 to 27 March.

The Borneo Post reported Zaini saying that among those detained were eight local men from Kudat who had gone out to sea for leisure fishing, adding that compliance to the MCO has improved.

"Since the MCO was implemented on 18 March, we have inspected over 46,000 vehicles and from that figure, close to 1,200 vehicles have been asked to turn back home as they did not have any reason to be out during the MCO period," the Commissioner was quoted as saying today, 28 March.

A policeman and a soldier manning a roadblock in Sandakan on 25 March.

Image via New Straits Times

Meanwhile, Dr Christina said that six additional quarantine centres have been opened there, bringing the total number of centres to 19

Among the six, Sipitang, Kuala Penyu, and Penampang each have one, with three in Kota Kinabalu.

Authorities in Sabah are closely monitoring 4,948 close contacts of positive COVID-19 patients.

There has been one reported death in the state so far. The patient was a 58-year-old man in Tawau. He was the third Malaysian COVID-19 fatality and was part of the tabligh cluster.

According to Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, five "generations" of positive COVID-19 cases are now linked to the tabligh gathering that was attended by over 14,500 Malaysians.

It's been reported that from the tabligh cluster, more than 700 cases infected their families and the family members, in turn, infected their neighbours who then spread the virus to their friends and so on.

In Kedah, a man threw a kenduri to mock the MCO:

In Melaka, a 32-year-old man was sentenced to nine months' jail:

Remember to #JustStayAtHome.

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