Dr Sim (second right) posing with a recipient after Batu Kawa health clinic administered its 4,000th dose of Covid-19 vaccine.
KUCHING (July 14): Younger adults and children are becoming victims of Covid-19 virus as indicated by the latest infection trend in Sarawak, said Minister of Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian.
Thus, the state needs to continuously be on high alert and cautious in handling the pandemic, with emerging virus variants that are more transmissible being reported across the world, including the Delta, Lambda and Delta Plus variants.
“The disease pattern has changed and the younger people are getting infected with Covid-19. I suspect the virus variant for being the culprit in the rise of positive cases,” he said after chairing a committee meeting on Sarawak Day 2021 celebration at Wisma Bapa Malaysia yesterday.
Dr Sim, who is State Disaster Management Committee advisor, said more patients were experiencing severe symptoms after being infected with Covid-19, with a number of them being placed under Category Four or Five in terms of severity of the symptoms.
He cited as an example, six Indian nationals boarding a plane to Labuan who unknowingly spread the Delta variant to over 20 passengers of the same flight and it eventually resulted in areas of Labuan being placed under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).
“We appeal for your understanding due to the inconvenience caused, especially on the mandatory quarantine order. Please remember the case of Pasai Cluster that led to 2,693 positive cases and a death toll of 25 people.”
The index case for Pasai Cluster had returned from Johor to Sibu to attend a funeral ceremony and she was quarantined in the longhouse.
Nonetheless, Dr Sim applauded the public for their cooperation and solidarity in the state’s campaign to overcome the pandemic, which has allowed the state to slowly reopen the economy to save livelihoods.
He said the main reason for the decision to allow dine-in starting today was to support the economy.
“Imposing lockdown is just like switching off the lights and all the lights go off. But when reopening the economy, it’s more like gradually opening the water tap.”
He said other countries were re-imposing lockdown, including ban on dine-in service, after reporting a surge in positive cases.
Dr Sim also pointed out many economic sectors were complaining it was unfair to temporarily shut their businesses when seemingly no Covid-19 clusters resulted from their operation.
“I always have disagreement with the Ministry of Health on the naming of clusters. I personally feel it is in the public interest to know which gym, coffeeshops and restaurants where positive cases were detected but the ministry will tend to protect their identity or privacy (by not naming the cluster after them).”
On a separate matter, Dr Sim congratulated all the frontliners stationed at Batu Kawa health clinic for achieving a milestone of administering 4,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses on Monday night after three weeks.
“I want to congratulate volunteers and those from Sarawak Private Medical Practitioners Society, including young and senior general practitioners and specialists, as well as nurses and staff members at the health clinic. We are all in this together,” said Dr Sim.