KUCHING, Feb 4 — Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas today admitted that there are weaknesses in complying with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the longhouses and villages.
He said the weaknesses have resulted in the sharp rise of Covid-19 cases in the rural areas.
“As such, we will meet tomorrow to discuss measures to strengthen the SOPs to ensure strict compliance,” he told reporters in his media briefing on the Covid-19 situation in the state.
“We will strengthen the SOPs at the grassroots level as we have noticed that the enforcement is not strict,” he said.
He said one of the measures is to deploy volunteer corps Rela members to the longhouses and villages to assist the military and police personnel in enforcing the SOPs.
Uggah, who is also the deputy chief minister, cited a case of a longhouse where 74 of its residents are infected with the virus due to the failure to comply with the SOPs.
He urged residents of the longhouses and villages to confine themselves in their own homes, not to meet in large groups or gatherings for whatever occasions as physical distancing will not be adhered to.
“If you all mingle with each other and if one of you is infected with the virus, the rest will be infected,” he said.
“I would like to remind you all not to go out of your houses to buy food items as the state government will provide you with what you need for your family,” he said.
He urged the residents of the longhouses and villages placed under a 14-day quarantine to be patient as this is to protect themselves from being infected with the virus.
“So, I urge the residents of longhouses to cooperate with the authorities, such as the Health Department, the police and military to strictly comply with the SOPs and not to move out from their houses,” he said.
He said SDMC has been informed by the Health Department that residents of many longhouses and villages have gathered in large groups and not confined themselves to their respective houses.
Uggah also expressed concern at the large number of people applying for inter-district travel.
“We want the police to more stringent when approving applications for inter-district travel so to limit the number of people travelling from one district to another,” he said.
He said the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) in the districts of Sibu, Kanowit, Song, Selangau, and Kapit and the conditional movement control order (CMCO) in other districts is to restrict the movement of people so to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases.
He said since the outbreak early last year, Sarawak has registered 5,094 cases, including over 3000 since January this year.
“This is the worst scenario on the pandemic that we ever have,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sarawak registered two more deaths of Covid-19 today, bringing the total number to 44 and registered 270 more positive cases.