THE number of Covid-19 cases is rising on the west coast of Sabah, but it is declining in the east..

“Our challenge is the west coast of the state, which includes Kota Kinabalu, Putatan and Penampang, there is a rise in cases,” Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.

“While the east coast is in a phase of decline,” he added in his press conference in Putrajaya today. 

He said the Health Ministry is working to bring down the R-naught (R-0) – a measure of how many new infections stem from a single case – from 2.2 to 1.0 within the next two weeks.

Dr Noor Hisham repeated his call to avoid elections to prevent the further spread of Covid-19 infections.

The Batu Sapi by-election in Sabah is scheduled for December 5 after the seat fell vacant following the death of Liew Vui Keong.

He said if the polls have to be held, certain measures must be in place.

This includes prohibiting inter-district and state travel, and a ban on mass gatherings and walkabouts.

“If we don’t have the power to call off the elections, then we have to go ahead with it. But if polls are held, can we adhere to the three principles mentioned?

“We are still in talks with the Elections Commission to see if this can be done.”

Noor Hisham  although there were rules to curb infections, compliance remained an issue. – October 30, 2020.