By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, June 28: A 32-year-old man from Sibu became the latest person who tested positive for Covid-19 in Sarawak today.
The information was disclosed by State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
“We were informed that there is one (new) positive case of Covid-19 in Sarawak.
“This means the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in Sarawak has increased to 571 cases.
“Case 571 is a local who just returned from the United Kingdom on June 17.
“Flew from Kuala Lumpur International Airport and entering Sarawak through Sibu Airport on June 18 and undergoing quarantine at a hotel in Sibu.
“In Kuala Lumpur, those overseas Malaysians who returned were asked to take rapid test kit (RTK) and then required to be on home quarantine.
“But for Sarawak, any Sarawakian returning from overseas are required to undergo full quarantine of 14 days at the respective hotels.
“We have seen that this policy has been effective in detecting (Covid-19) positive cases for those returning back from overseas,” he told reporters after visiting AEON Mall here to inspect the standard operating procedures (SOPs) by retail outlets today.
He noted that the were two previous cases of Sarawakians abroad returning to the state that were detected positive Covid-19.
A man who returned to Bintulu from Mexico and a woman who returned to Miri from Tunisia.
Uggah, who is Deputy Chief Minister, stressed that the quarantine policy for returning Sarawakians is maintained for Sarawak for safety and health precautionary purposes for the public and the family members of the affected persons.
The State Health Department would be conducting a random Covid-19 swab test for workers at construction sites in major cities throughout Sarawak starting next week, he added.
He observed that there were positive cases of Covid-19 detected among construction workers in Sarawak.
Uggah, who is Second Finance Minister, said the need for construction workers to undergo compulsory Covid-19 swab test will be decided based on the results carried out from the random test of construction workers.
On another note, Uggah added Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has also directed the Public Works Department to incorporate the design of spacing for government servants’ housing quarters which follows the rule of social distancing following a trip to Pusa to check on government project implementation recently.
For existing government contacts, Uggah who is Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said the state government is looking at how to assist the contractors to incorporate social distancing in their project implementation.
In the meantime, Uggah said he was satisfied with the compliance of SOPs by the retail outlets in AEON Mall.
Among those who accompanied Uggah were Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian and Kuching City South Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng. —DayakDaily
