NEWLY elected Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Mohd Noor and his wife have been warded in Kota Kinabalu after both tested positive for Covid-19, several sources told The Malaysian Insight.

They said both Hajiji and his wife Juliah Salaq were admitted to a single room at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu this week.

“Hajiji had some symptoms when he was admitted and the hospital placed him under the vital signs monitoring group.

“But he’s shown good progress and is in no danger,” a source said.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is one of the seven hospitals designated as Covid-19 hospitals in Malaysia. Sources also said the hospital is currently treating some 400 Covid-19 patients.

Yesterday, 274 new Covid-19 infections and six deaths were reported in Sabah.

Sabah state secretary Safar Untong had said recently that Hajiji will undergo home quarantine for two weeks starting October 8.

Safar said it was just a precautionary measure as Hajiji had been exposed to close contacts that tested positive for Covid-19.

“The state government will function as normal,” said Safar in a statement.

The Sabah Bersatu chief and Sulaman assemblyman was sworn in as the state’s 16th chief minister on September 29 following Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s victory over Warisan Plus in the state election.

Sabah Finance Minister 2 Masidi Manjun, however, has denied that the chief minister has been hospitalised.

“I’m told that he is on voluntary self-quarantine because one of his staff had tested positive. He is in regular communication with me by phone,” said the minster in a WhatsApp message to The Malaysian Insight.

Hajiji is the latest to test positive for Covid-19 following confirmation that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifili Mohamad al-Bakri had contacted the virus.

Zulkifli is currently being treated at the Covid-19 designated Sg Buloh Hospital.

Following Zulkifli’s confirmation, more than half the cabinet, including Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, have announced they would be undergoing home quarantine for 14 days.

More than half a dozen politicians have tested positive for Covid-19 following the two-week state election campaign in Sabah from September 12 to 26. – October 10, 2020.