KUCHING, April 14 — The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee has formed four special action task forces to strengthen steps to manage the Covid-19 pandemic in the state, its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said today.

He said the task forces were formed after listening to the views of medical experts.

"The first task force, on accelerating flattening the curve (of current wave), is headed by former state health director Dr Jamilah Hashim,” he told reporters on the latest development of Covid-19 infections in the state.

"This task force will see and make recommendations on ways to reduce the coronavirus curve which at present is rising up.”

Uggah said among the issue that is of concern are case notification, case investigation, identifying contacts, identifying active cases and health education.

"This task force will also monitor the development of issues which have been raised,” he said.

Uggah said the second task force is on preventing and controlling the next waves and it is headed by Datuk Professor Dr Andrew Kiyu from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

"This task force will oversee and recommend on how we can prepare ourselves and to take immediate steps to overcome the second wave of Covid-19 infection in future,” he said.

"We must learn from what we have done in facing the previous wave of Covid-19 and make attempts to improve it,” he said.

Uggah, who is also the deputy chief minister, said the third task force is on real-time analysis of data on Covid-19 and it is also headed by Dr Kiyu.

He said this task force will be assigned to obtain and analyse as much data as possible on Covid-19 in Sarawak.

He said this task force will develop the capacity for data analysis by its members or to source from outside experts.

He said SDMC needs to have the data which is needed for analysis so that immediate action can be carried out based on the outcome of the analysis.

"I want whatever action we take, it must be based on science and data or evidence-based and we cannot simply manage Covid-19 blindly,” he said.

Uggah said the fourth task force on preparedness plan for the big wave is headed by Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, the state Local Government and Housing Minister.

 "I want a number of health officers from the Sarawak General Hospital, including the hospital director, head of the infectious diseases department and head of the laboratory, to be included in this task force,” he added.

He said he also wants a pharmacist from the Health Department to be a member of the task force.

"Dr Sim will decide other heath officers who he wants to be in the task force,” Uggah said.