SIBU, May 2: A second active case detection (ACD) for Covid-19 will be carried out in Bahagia Jaya and Permai here due to poor turn-up from the first one.
Overall the ACD in the two areas together with Medan from April 29 to May 1 was not encouraging.
Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee in his Covid-19 update via Facebook Live said there were only 549 turn-ups at Medan ACD on April 29 where eight were found positive.
In Bahagia Jaya ACD on April 30, only 294 swabs were taken and 392 in Permai ACD on May 1. Both had no positive cases from the testing.
Dr Annuar believed that the poor response to the ACD was because people feared that they would be found positive with Covid-19 and later could not work.
“People are afraid that when they are tested positive, they cannot work and their employers would not give them pay,” he said.
The Nangka assemblyman said there is no issue on no-work-no-salary as the patients could report to the Labour Department for appropriate action if their employer refused to pay them for being on sick leave.
“When you are found positive, you will either be sent to the hospital or quarantine centre. This is consider as sick leave. You can also apply for financial aid through MySalam after you have been discharged from the hospital,” he said.
On another ACD for Bahagia Jaya with the date to be announced later, he said there are more than 800 houses in the area but most people failed to participate in the ACD.
“Yesterday (April 30) there are still positive case in Bahagia Jaya arising from the Disa Cluster but there is no cases from the ACD. So we are going to have another one as we want to ensure that more people are screened,” he said.
Dr Annuar said the probable reason for the poor response was due to the fasting month.
“This ACD is for people with asymptomatic. If positive cases are not detected and referred to the hospital, they will spread the coronavirus to others,” he said.
As for Permai, he said another ACD will be conducted if positive cases are reported these few days.
The ACD for today (Sunday) is at Rejang Park and at Swan Square tomorrow. — DayakDaily
