Dr Annuar explains the SOP during his Facebook live session.
SIBU (May 20): The Covid-19 rT-PCR swab test requirement to apply for an inter-zone travel permit under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) standard operating procedures (SOPs) only applies to essential service employees.
Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee clarified essential service employees who obtained regular or periodic inter-zone travel permits are required to undergo the rT-PCR swab test every two weeks to ensure they are not infected.
“The directive is our preventive measure to make sure they do not bring back home the virus each time they return from other zones.
“They must undergo Covid-19 swab tests once every two weeks because they are at risk of enabling the spread of the virus as their job requires them to travel regularly.
“The employees also must get themselves screened immediately if they show symptoms,” he explained during a Facebook live session last night.
Dr Annuar added that the SOP applied for the whole of Sarawak.
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He revealed the Sibu Central police station issued a total of 55 travel permits yesterday, of which 22 were for other important matters, 12 for essential service, 10 for welfare or sick close family members, six for medical reasons, three for official duty, and two for death of close family members.
Only three applications were rejected, he added.
“So it is wrong to say that every inter-zone travel (permit) required a swab test result. There is a local leader who caused this confusion among the people.
“You can always ask if you do not understand the SOP and not spin the facts just to gain mileage for your own agenda. We have to be a responsible leader and work together on this,” he said.
He called on those in positions of leadership not to make use of the people’s confusion to stir up such issues.
Addressing people’s complaints on the ever-changing SOPs, he said it was done based on the Covid-19 situation.
He stressed that if cases rise, the SOPs must be tightened.
“We have done it when we implemented enhanced CMCO SOP for seven zones in Sibu District last month.
“We expanded the restrictions to the whole Sibu Division when we realised we need to tighten the measures including enforcing the no dine-in directive,” he said.
Dr Annuar added SOPs need to be enforced based on the current situation although there might be some confusion on the matter.