Deputy CM says all oil and gas workers entering Sarawak now required to undergo Covid-19 screening

KUCHING, Sept 3 — All Malaysian oil and gas (O&G) workers signing on to their offshore platforms will now be required to undergo Covid-19 screening test, said State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

He said this new guideline will take effect from tomorrow onwards.

“For foreigners and Malaysians who are returning from overseas, prior to heading for their platform, they must undergo a mandatory Covid-19 screening and will be quarantined for 14 days,” he told a press conference at the old State Legislative Assembly (DUN) Building here today.

For those signing off from platforms, he said all workers from oil rig platforms to land will be screened randomly and would no longer need to undergo quarantine.

This new guideline comes after SDMC previously announced that Malaysians from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan as well as non-Malaysians who are signing on to their platforms will be placed at a quarantine centre in the state for 14 days with rT-PCR test taken on the second and tenth day of quarantine.

The previous guideline also required oil and gas workers from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Labuan who were signing off from platforms to be placed at the quarantine centre and the rT-PCR test will be taken on the second day of quarantine.

On another issue, Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, said all swimming pool activities at hotels, apartments or public sports facility are now allowed to operate starting tomorrow.

“They must comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the state Ministry of Youth and Sports,” he said.

He also said that with effect from tomorrow until December 31, the new operating hours for all entertainment outlets in the state will be up to 12am only.

Also present at the press conference was Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian. — Borneo Post