A medical worker stores a Covid-19 swab sample for testing. — Bernama photo
MIRI (July 6): The Miri Divisional Health Office is currently conducting contact tracing for the six local workers who tested positive for Covid-19 under the Industry 121 Cluster.
Miri Division Disaster Management Committee (MDDMC) minister in charge Datuk Lee Kim Shin told The Borneo Post that the contacts of the local workers would undergo swab tests and be placed at a quarantine centre in a designated hotel.
He pointed out that the initial investigation on the cluster at the plywood factory in Kuala Baram, where 107 foreign workers also tested positive for Covid-19, showed that the workers’ movements were confined to the factory quarters.
“That being said, all the workers have been tested in that factory,” he said.
Lee stressed it is vital industries allowed to operate strictly comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) stipulated under the present Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NPR).
“In view of this, relevant agencies and authorities in charge of industries have been requested to carry out more regular checks on SOP compliance,” said the Minister of Transport.
The Industry 121 Cluster was one of three new clusters declared by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) yesterday (July 5).
SDMC also announced that the plywood factory was issued a compound of RM10,000 for failing to seek approval from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development to operate at more than 50 per cent of worker capacity.
Lee also said another industrial vaccination centre (PPVIN) has been proposed and will be set up in Kuala Baram Industrial Park.
“The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF) Kuching has inspected the premises and the revised layout has already been submitted. I have urged CITF to expedite approval and hope that it can begin operations soon,” he said.
The proposed PPVIN will be in addition to the Miri Port PPVIN approved earlier, which will begin vaccinations on Thursday (July 8) for industries and their workers.