COVID-19 pandemic in Sabah
[1] A second positive case was reported the following day in Benoni's Papar District which also originated from the religious gathering where he was then transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for further treatment.
[29] Within the same month, more than 90 people recovered from the virus with three deaths reported since March;[30] the latest involving a 66-year-old man in Tambunan District with a medical history of diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease on 5 April along with a 62-year-old retired senior Sabah government official and tabligh worker with diabetes who died in Kota Kinabalu District on 10 April.
[33] The State Health Department explained that further positive cases would only be known once 4,600 samples were cleared in the following two days by a special task force set up on 8 April.
[34] Earlier on 6 April, a body of a 26-year-old man without identity documents was found hanged to a tree in a jungle area at Pondo Village in Gaya Island.
[58] By 11 June, further cases rose to 356 with the sixth virus fatality involving an 85-year-old elderly woman who died at her home in Keningau District within the same day.
[65] A Roman Catholic church in Kota Kinabalu District decided to suspend Masses for two weeks after one of its parishioners was found to be positive with the virus.
[71] On 10 October, 40 of the 66 nurses manning intensive care units at Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Kota Kinabalu were quarantined after one of their colleagues tested positive for COVID-19.
[76] There were reports that some businesses in the state taking advantage of the situation by selling overpriced masks during the period which led them being fined by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry branch of Sabah.
[80] The Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah Christina Liew has called on the community in her constituency of Tawau to avoid from panic buying despite the quick spread of the virus.
[82] On 16 August, State COVID-19 spokesperson Masidi Manjun announced that Sabah's construction, manufacturing, mining and quarry sectors with at least 80% of workers vaccinated would be reallowed to reopen.
[84][85] In late June, National Security Council Sabah director Sharifah confirmed that state authorities would be deporting 250 undocumented migrants.
[86] On 23 June, Bernama and The Sun reported that at least twenty Malaysians were stranded in Indonesia's Nunukan Regency and unable to return to Sabah.
The Malaysian Consulate in Pontianak had sent a letter to the Sabah Government requesting permission for the family to be allowed to return to Tawau but had received no response.
In response, members of the public and democracy observers urged local authorities to consider postal voting due to the ongoing pandemic and in order to reduce virus transmissions during the election.
[90][91] On 11 September, the Federal Court dismissed Datuk Jahid Noordin Jahim's appeal to stop the election, allowing nominations to begin the following day.
[93][94][95] In response, the Federal Government on 14 October announced the implementation of a Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) throughout Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya due to the rising number of cases.
[96][97] The state government has released several guidelines to curb the spread of the virus and assured the public that essential goods will be sufficient despite the ongoing increase of infections and panic buying.
[104] Since the earlier several suspected cases in Sabah's capital of Kota Kinabalu, all direct flights between the state with mainland China have been stopped indefinitely.
[105] Further travel restrictions were imposed by the state government towards the three most affected countries by the virus; comprising Iran, Italy and South Korea by March.
[108] Sabahan university students in Peninsular Malaysia with settlement problem during the order period may stay at Sabah House, Cheras with food provided by the state government.
[109] Civil servants across the country are exempts from the ban despite each of them still must showing valid confirmation letters that are issued by their heads of departments for each specific task.
[122] Following reports of poor compliance to the MCO in the state capital of Kota Kinabalu, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has imposed citywide round-the-clock roadblocks aimed at warning obstinate individuals who go against the order until the end of the two week period.
[125] The state government also sealed off coronavirus hotspots in major towns such as in several areas in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau to minimise movement amid a growing number of cases in these areas including ordering some factories and plantations in Kalabakan and Lahad Datu with detection of cases to cease their operation as well as stopping barter trading between east coast of Sabah and the neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia.
[130] On 6 October, Senior Minister Ismail announced that the federal government would ban most interstate travel to and from Sabah with the exception of emergencies, deaths, and essential services.
[131] On 7 May 2021, the Sabah state government banned any non-essential inter-district travel for the duration of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) between 10 and 16 May.
Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun also confirmed that Kota Kinabalu, Putatan and Penampang would be considered to be one district for the duration of the CMCO.
[144] The Sabah state government also has directed all its government-linked companies not to reduce or cut their staff salaries despite going through the current business slowdown due to the MCO.
[142] The federal government had donated a total of 200,000 face masks, 50,000 gloves, 10,000 litres of sanitisers and a variety of medical equipments for frontliners in Sabah.
[141] On 10 April, a further 3 million surgical masks meant for the distribution to every home in Sabah were delivered by the federal government through another RMAF flight.
[145] Basic essential items aid also being extended by NGOs to families of illegal immigrants in the state following reports that they have been abandoned by irresponsible employer.
