KOTA KINABALU: The reason there was no new Covid-19 cases in Sabah yesterday is due to the unavailability of confirmation tests, said Sabah Health department director Datuk Dr Christina Rundi.
“(It is due to) laboratory reagent,” she said, following the latest statistics by the National Security Council. The number of cases in Sabah had remained at 170 without any increase from the previous day.
A reagent is a substance or mixture used in chemical analysis in the laboratory to confirm the presence of the virus in samples.
Rundi had said that the daily report of Covid-19 did not reflect the real situation as some of the samples had to be re-tested.
“The limited availability of the reagent is faced by all laboratories nationwide,” she added.
Depending on the types of reagents, the estimated cost per test is between RM60 and RM70.
Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal had yesterday announced RM50 million to supplement needs by frontliners, including medical supplies.
The state, through the Federal government, is also expecting assistance from the Chinese government in terms of medical supplies and expertise.
He added that several experts from China, who have the experience and knowledge, would come to the state to train local doctors on handling the pandemic more efficiently.