KUCHING, Aug 27 — The state government has banned the movement of people from the southern zone districts to others in Sarawak as it extends the tightened standard operating procedures (SOPs) until September 5 in the southern zone.

The Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) said crossing districts is only allowed if the travellers have obtained police permits and have negative reverse transcription —  polymerase rapid reaction (RT-PCR) test or RTK Antigen test results approved by the Ministry of Health.

“The RTK Antigen Covid-19 screening test can be done at the health government clinics in the southern zone districts through appointments, starting from August 30,” SDMC said in a statement today.

It said the extension of the SOPs until September 5 is necessary in view of the worrying number of Covid-19 cases in the southern zone.

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It said dine-ins at food outlets and restaurants will remain banned while the operating hours for business premises is from 5am to 8pm in the southern zone.

It also barred individuals from being at the public places after 10pm without any reasonable cause.

The districts in the southern zone are Kuching, Bau, Lundu, Samarahan,  Asajaya, Simunjan, Serian and Tebedu.

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Kuching district registered 906 Covid-19 cases today, out of 2,224 cases for the state.

SDMC said Samarahan district recorded 210 cases, Serian with 158 cases, Simunjan 96, Bau 69, Asayajay 38 and Tebedu, 28.

It said Kuching district also registered two deaths of Covid-19 while Song district registered one.

SDMC also said 2,222 or 99.91 of the total Covid-19 cases are from categories one (without symptoms) and two (with mild symptoms).

It added one case is from category three (patient having pneumonia and requiring observation) and one from category five (patient in critical condition and needing ventilator support).