KUCHING, March 1: Cockfighting activity at a longhouse in the Bukit Saban constituency was the source of 50 new Covid-19 cases.
Disclosing this in a press conference today, its state assemblyman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said: “Today a doctor told me that one longhouse from my constituency recorded 50 cases because of cockfighting.
“The failure to comply with the standard operating procedure (SOP) especially when holding meetings or social gatherings had caused the number of positive cases to remain high in Sarawak.
“We keep pleading and repeatedly reminding everyone to please comply with the SOP. But there are people out there who are not afraid of Covid-19 and this is what I don’t understand,” Uggah lamented.
Over the past few weeks, several new clusters were created following social gatherings such as funerals, weddings, gambling and cockfighting activities.
As these social gatherings usually involve movements between districts, Uggah who is also the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman said these people travelled from red zones such as from Kapit to Betong, and from Sibu to Bintulu.
“Please, please, please follow the SOP as directed. Value your life and health. Always wear a face mask when you are in a crowded place and practise social distancing even at your own workplace.
“You must comply with the SOP not because you are afraid of getting arrested or fined by the police, but to keep yourself safe from the virus,” Uggah said.
On Feb 7, a man wearing a Covid-19 home quarantine and surveillance wristband was among five individuals detained by the police for involvement in illegal cockfighting and gambling in Sibu Jaya.
In a separate incident, four men were arrested for their involvement in cockfighting activities in Siniawan Bau on Dec 14 last year. — DayakDaily
Editor’s note: An earlier headline was amended to better reflect details in the report.
