Richard speaking at the function.
KUCHING (July 25): Community leaders in villages and longhouses who fail to ensure compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOP) among their people to curb the spread of Covid-19 risk being slapped with compound, said Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
The Deputy Chief Minister and Sarawak Disaster Management Committee chairman said it was part of the responsibilities of the various community leaders to look after the well-being of their people.
He made these remarks in his brief text-of-speech read out by a Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr Richard Rapu when opening a community policing workshop for 49 community leaders in Spaoh yesterday.
According to Uggah, a few longhouse chiefs across the state have recently been issued with compounds of RM2,000 each for failure in ensuring compliance with the SOP among the people.
He said even though the rural folk had largely been vaccinated, there was no excuse for them to be complacent.
He stressed that compliance with the SOP was crucial to avoid any new pandemic outbreak particularly given the emergence of new Covid-19 variant Delta, which is more contagious.
“It is of absolute importance for the SOP to be adhered to especially at funerals and social activities which will gather crowd.
“In the case of any funeral wake, the longhouse chief concerned needs to inform the district office,” reminded Uggah.
He said this was to ensure that crowd control measure can be enforced as funeral can be a very fertile ground for the virus to spread like what happened to the Pasai Cluster, which is the biggest cluster in the state, thus far.
Since the index case was detected in a longhouse in Sibu end of December last year, the Pasai Cluster reported a total of 2,693 positive cases and 29 deaths as it spread to 58 longhouses state-wide.
Uggah, who is Bukit Saban assemblyman, said in Sarawak, 22 Covid-19 clusters had emerged due to funeral gatherings, recording 4,466 positive cases and 35 deaths.
Meanwhile, he continued to call on individuals who remained hesitant to get vaccinated to register for vaccination soon.
He said they would not only expose themselves to the virus but also be a source of exposure to the others if they refused to get vaccinated.
He added that they could also miss out on a number of leeways on restrictions to be enjoyed by those who have already been vaccinated.
The federal government is expected to announce some relaxation on the SOP for those who have completed their vaccination.
Uggah cautioned: “Those who have not been vaccinated might even be ostracised by their community.”
Meanwhile, Betong divisional health officer Dr Johnny Pangkas said people in the division had responded overwhelmingly to the vaccination programme.
According to him, about 80 per cent of the people in Betong have been given the jab.
“We have enjoyed the best co-operation and team spirit from all frontliners and the people. I would like to record our deepest appreciation to Uggah, Betong MP Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat, Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap and others for their contributions and service.”
Dr Johnny also reminded longhouse chiefs to register all attendees at any funeral or social gatherings including their handphone numbers.
“If there is a need for us to do any active case detection operation, the details will allow us to contact all concerned fast,” he said.