Datuk Richard Wee
KUCHING (Aug 9): A well-considered post-Covid-19 recovery and exit plan is most welcomed by all, including the relaxation of standard operating procedures (SOP) for fully vaccinated individuals announced yesterday by Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said Datuk Richard Wee.
The president of the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations believed that the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will make its considered decision on the matter.
“I am confident that SDMC will come up with guidelines and policies for Sarawak, taking into consideration of the conditions of all divisions and districts and in tandem with the National Recovery Plan (NRP),” he said when contacted by The Borneo Post today.
He was commenting on the federal government having approved travelling and home quarantine for both fully vaccinated Malaysians and foreigners.
Wee opined that the community ought to be mindful of the need to continue embracing the new normal due to the pandemic despite the relaxed SOP for fully vaccinated individuals announced by the prime minister.
“Public hygiene and public health standard may need to be improved and enhanced. Continuing awareness campaigns of the pandemic need to be carried out.
“New rules and regulations for the food and beverages sectors may need to be imposed. Local authorities need to review all requirements for all dry and wet markets, hawker centres and stall owners,” he asserted.
He said all these should improve and enhance the cleanliness and hygiene practices of all stakeholders so as to boost the confidence of all their patrons and customers.
He added that this will be a long-term exercise and that political will and commitment are most crucial to the cause.
“To allow business entities to open when all staff and strictly enforce patrons are fully vaccinated is a practical way of complying with the objective of achieving herd immunity, and at the same time encourage vaccination.”
Wee said the Covid-19 had taken its toll on the country’s and global economy after nearly two years of controlled measures to curb the pandemic.
“Economically, the country has taken a beating and we have never experienced such an impactful and procrastinating economic downturn that affect almost all economic sectors across the country.
“After close to two years of controlled order and movement restrictions, one can see fatigue setting in not just in our nation but all over the world,” he added.
Despite so, he said any new measures set must be be based on science and medical data to form the basis and decisions taken.
He said the task of trying to strike a balance between lives and livelihood is a very delicate undertaking.
As such, he said the government must be able to analyse the statistics and the underlying information from the scientists and experts to come up with policies and guidelines which can be backed up by the evidence and data professionally and scientifically.
“Although there may be differences in opinions from different experts, at the very least there are basis in decision-making process. And that will improve and extend public trust in the entire process of combating the pandemic,” he added.
Wee said the community must take it upon themselves to ensure good and healthy practices are carried out as part of their responsibility towards a healthier environment and greater good for everyone and the society as a whole.
Yesterday, Muhyiddin said the relaxed SOP applied to all residents nationwide and regardless of any phase of the NRP.
He explicitly defined fully vaccinated as those who had received the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac doses, and must have exceeded 14 days from the date of their second doses.
For the type of vaccines which requires only one dose (Johnson&Johnson and CanSino), he said the individuals must have exceeded 28 days from the date of their jabs.
Muhyiddin added that the relaxation on SOP for the economic sector would be announced soon, as it is still being discussed and assessed by the National Security Council.
At the time of writing, SDMC has not announced whether Sarawak will follow the relaxed SOP for fully vaccinated individuals.