Dr Annuar Rapaee
SIBU (Feb 7): The Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) has adopted a zoning strategy for the town in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19, said Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing Dr Annuar Rapaee.
He explained that under the zoning strategy, if a certain locality recorded an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, a mass Covid-19 screening, similar to the one carried out in Sibujaya today, would be carried out there.
“We agreed to zoning the Sibu town easy for us to plan a strategy effectively if that particular zone shows an surge in cases.
“For example, if Lanang area recorded an increase number of cases, we will carry out mass screening there like that in Sibujaya today,” said Dr Annuar, who is also Assistant Minister for Education, Science and Technological Research.
The mass PCR Covid-19 screening at the open space near Sibujaya flats was conducted from 9am until noon today.
Meanwhile, Dr Annuar urged Sibu folk to discard the mentality that the Covid-19 cases reported here are only confined to longhouse areas.
He cautioned that such thinking would only encourage members of the public to let their guard down, which does not augur well for the hard work put up by the frontliners and authorities.
“If you were to look at the statistics, only about 27 per cent of the Covid-19 positive cases reported in the last few days were from the longhouses here, whereas about 70 cases were from Sibu town.
“In fact, of the 113 affected longhouses (in Sibu Division), we are left with 90 (longhouses) where lockdown are still imposed and some of these residents had taken their second or even third swab tests.
“Majority of the reported cases in Sibu now are not at longhouses. To me, the virus has already assimilated into the Sibu community and no longer confined to longhouse areas. Therefore, it is very important for all of us to not assume that we are alright thinking that cases are only reported in longhouse area,” the Nangka assemblyman, stressed.
In this regard, he reminded members of the public to up their guard in the war against Covid-19.
Dr Annuar gave this advice during live Facebook chat hosted by Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting, which was also attended by SGH infectious disease specialist Dr Chua Hock Hin.
Adding on, Dr Annuar pointed out that there is no benefit to dwell on what could have or should have been done, following claims by certain quarters that some residents from longhouses placed under lockdown made their out from the roadblock via ‘jalan tikus’ (illegal paths).
“Yes, maybe, we should stop this earlier and it (the effort to contain Covid-19 spread) might have been successful. It does not matter now as the important thing now is to work concertedly to contain the virus spread.”
He also advised the public to avoid going out when there is no necessity for them to do so.
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