KUCHING, April 16 — The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today said authorities had no choice but to tighten the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in regards to inter-zone travel following a rise the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state.
“Inter-zone travel has resulted in 505 positive cases and eight Covid-19 clusters since January this year,” SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said during a press conference this evening.
“Therefore, SDMC has decided to tighten the inter-zone travel SOPs,” the deputy chief minister said, adding that the new SOPs will take effect on April 19.
He said anyone who wants to travel from one zone to another will now have to obtain a police permit.
“The police have been directed to issue permits only to those who are involved in essential services such as public transport, drivers delivering essential food items and emergency,” he said.
Uggah said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg will discuss with Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Aidi Ismail on Monday on ways to tighten the enforcement of the SOPs.
For the purpose of Covid-19 management under the conditional movement control order (CMCO), Sarawak is divided into Kuching zone covering the divisions of Kuching Samarahan and Serian, Sarikei zone covering Sarikei and Betong divisions, Sri Aman zone, Mukah zone, Kapit zone, Bintulu zone, Miri zone and Limbang zone.
Uggah also issued a strong warning to government agencies, individuals and companies to strictly comply with the SOPs issued by SDMC and the Ministry of Health (MoH).
“My advice to them, such as the police training centre and the (Mukah Polytechnic) hostel, that they have their own SOPs.
“The positive cases happened because they did not follow the SOPs based on our initial investigation.
“We appeal to them, especially the top management of these institutions, to follow closely the SOPs that have been set,” he said.
He said SDMC has also issued a compound notice to a government department in Miri for holding activities that breached Covid-19 SOPs.
Uggah said a school principal in Miri was also compounded for organising “gotong royong” and for not wearing a face mask.
On the positive cases reported today, Uggah explained that 896 or 93 per cent out of the total 960 cases involved persons who are already at quarantine centres for Covid-19 observation.
He said 313 cases were detected from the enclosed area of the Police Training Centre at Borneo Height and 99 from the Mukah Polytechnic as examples of where positive cases are detected in quarantine centres.
