A file picture of a police raid on an entertainment outlet last year which was operating in breach of the state’s SOP.
KUCHING (Feb 4): The State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will review Sarawak’s Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOP) tomorrow after Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s announced stricter measures to check the spread of the virus.
SDMC chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the committee will meet tomorrow to discuss if any adjustments to the existing SOP was necessary as the state was allowed to make changes to the Federal government’s SOP to suit local conditions.
Uggah, who is a deputy chief minister, pointed out that “Sarawak is always different” in the sense that the state had its own set of SOP to cope with the pandemic.
“For instance, the whole country is under MCO (Movement Control Order) but in Sarawak we have CMCO (Conditional Movement Control Order). We are adjusting our SOP according to Sarawak’s situation.
“We will tell you (whether there is adjustment to the existing SOP) after the discussion tomorrow. At the moment, there is no change of SOP,” he told a press conference on Covid-19.
Earlier today, Muhyiddin had said in a televised address that people found repeatedly flouting regulations enforced to curb the Covid-19 pandemic may be thrown into prison and have their businesses closed immediately as part of stiffer measures under the law.
He also said disciplinary action would also be taken against civil servants who flout the SOP.
Meanwhile, Uggah said SDMC along with the various Divisional Disaster Management Committees had to manage not just the Covid-19 pandemic but also the flood situation.
“They district committees are ever ready to face whatever situation that crops up. As the chairman of SDMC, I wish to record our appreciation for their commitment and efficiency in handling the situation on the ground,” he added.
Given the pandemic and flood situation, he appealed to all Sarawakians to give their cooperation to help the state get through these trying times.
“Let’s take care of Sarawak together,” he appealed.
Uggah said ten evacuation centres have been opened for 212 flood victims in Kapit, Bintulu, Serian and Samarahan today.
Six of these centres were in Serian followed by two in Samarahan and one each in Kapit and Bintulu.
“The 10 evacuation centres are attending to the needs of 61 families comprising 212 flood victims,” he said.
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