A resident of Long Jeeh undergoing the swab test today.
MIRI (Jan 29): Villagers of Long Jeeh in Ulu Baram are relieved to have been swabbed for Covid-19 today although they are not out of the woods yet.
Their village security and development committee secretary Johnny Selong, in a press statement on behalf of the people, thanked the Miri Disaster Management Committee for seeing to it that their Covid screening was not delayed further.
He said pending the result of the tests and the completion of their 14 day lockdown, the committee would work closely with the authorities to ensure strict compliance with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP).
“We now feel relieved that our swab test has been done and our longhouse has been sanitised and that the police are here to enforce the lockdown
“We don’t blame anybody but, with God’s intervention, Long Jeeh residents will be safe. We are hoping for the best outcome,” said Johnny.
Long Jeeh was locked down after two villagers tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this week. A medical team was scheduled to fly to the longhouse to carry out the swab tests on Thursday but the trip was postponed after their helicopter was grounded.
Johnny thanked the medical staff who arrived today to screen them, and the Marudi Fire and Rescue Department for sanitising their longhouse.
He also expressed their appreciation to the Welfare Department for providing them with 100 food packets.
At the same time, he thanked the Mulu assemblyman Gerawat Gala, Baram MP Angyie Ngau and Transport MInister Datuk Lee Kim Shin for attending to their needs.
Johnny said Long Jeeh consists of 107 doors with a population of about 1,200 people, but most of the population were now in town with only about 35 families left.
“By four-wheel-drive to Miri takes about seven to eight hours or even longer during bad weather due to the soggy and slippery logging road which will be upgraded by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak government soon,” he said.
The post Long Jeeh folk thankful for Covid-19 tests after grounded helicopter delay medical team appeared first on Borneo Post Online.