TWO of the intensive care unit (ICU) staff at Kota Kinabalu’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital II have tested positive for Covid-19, said Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

The director-general of health said the ministry has screened all staff at the ICU on October 9 and only two were tested positive. 

“There was one nurse who had symptoms and when tested, the result was positive. Another staff was also positive.

“So, what we have done is, we have screened all medical officers, nurses in the ICU on October 9 and to date, only two cases have been detected positive,” he said during a virtual press conference today. 

Earlier today, Malaysiakini reported that the hospital was struggling to cope after 40 of the 66 ICU nurses were quarantined after at least one staff member tested positive for Covid-19.

However, the director-general did not comment on the operations of the ICU at Queen Elizabeth II.

He said the ministry was investigating if the virus was contracted from the community or at the hospital. 

Queen Elizabeth II Hospital is not a Covid-19 hospital but it is tasked to take all non-Covid-19 ICU patients from Queen Elizabeth Hospital I, also in Kota Kinabalu.

This is to free up the ICU ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital I, which is dedicated to Covid-19 patients.

Noor Hisham said 85 healthcare workers have been infected with Covid-19 in Sabah so far this month, compared with 58 the whole of last month. 

Noor Hisham said 579 health workers have been infected nationwide and Sabah accounts 198 of them. 

He said all healthcare workers have been advised to comply with the infective control measures and practice good clinical guidelines.

Malaysia reported 374 new Covid-19 infections today, with 277 of them detected in Sabah. – October 10, 2020.