KUCHING, Jan 10 — There will no annual Chinese New Year (CNY) festive sales or CNY Bazaar at Kenyalang Park here this year.
Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said the cancellation was in view of the worsening Covid-19 situation in Kuching and Sarawak.
He also explained that an online poll conducted also found that 86 per cent of the people voted against staging the CNY bazaar.
“In view of the fourth wave of the Covid-19 in Sarawak, we have decided to cancel it.
“I do it for the people. For me, it is about doing the right thing,” he said during his weekly live talk on Facebook yesterday.
Although there will not be CNY bazaar, Wee believed the people can still celebrate the festival in various ways including through online.
On another note, Wee said business premises in MBKS jurisdiction which were visited by Covid-19 cases will be asked to close temporarily.
He said the council will issue notices to the business premises for them to conduct cleaning and disinfection.
Wee said employees of the business premises affected will also need to undergo Covid-19 screening and when their test results were negative, then the shop will be allowed to reopen.
Meanwhile, Local Government and Housing Minister Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian said the State Health Department will also conduct active case detection (ACD) at the places visited by Covid-19 cases.
He explained that the most critical timing is the first two days when one was infected with the virus during the incubation period when the symptoms have yet to manifest.
As such, he called on those who have been to places visited by Covid-19 cases to go for screening at the nearest health clinic.
“The fees for their Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test will be waived if they disclose which cluster they were associated with.”
For the upcoming CNY celebration, Dr Sim also reminded the people to have their reunion dinner at home as opposed to gathering at restaurants.
He also urged the people to reduce outdoor activities if possible for the time being.
According to Dr Sim again, Sarawak registered double-digits cases in the past few days and the current fourth wave of Covid-19 in Sarawak has spread fast and is highly infectious.
He also did not discount the possibility of Kuching and Sibu becoming Covid-19 red zone in the next few days if the number of local infections continue to rise. — Borneo Post Online
