KUCHING, Feb 1: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii calls for the Federal and State Government to be more open with the current management, important data and parameters of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sarawak, in order for the public to get a better understanding on the government’s decisions.
Dr Yii, in a press statement today, said currently the daily focus has primarily been on the total number of new daily Covid-19 cases, and while this number is important, there is also the need to know the total number of tests which are being done daily and the percentage of positive cases every day.
According to him, this will give an indication of the testing capacity, the daily infection rate, as well as whether there is enough testing being conducted.
“In the case of Sarawak, we should report it in every region and district, rather than a lump sum for the whole state to get a micro understanding of each district so targeted decisions can be made.
“At the end of the day, I strongly believe that all these data must be made available publicly in the spirit of transparency to instill public confidence.
“This is to make sure that approaches and decisions by the government are backed by science and data, and is pragmatic to be carried out on the ground to encourage greater cooperation from the public,” he said.
On the same note, Dr Yii noted the details of Covid-19 data and new cluster must also be made accessible to ensure quick, informed decision-making across all sectors, including the rationality of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO)’s implementation that is being conducted in the regions throughout the state.
He said this is important in order to raise the confidence among the public which will in turn translate to better compliance and understanding from the public.
“The public should be educated on the justification on the decision to avoid unnecessary panic and confusion as well as it has far-reaching consequences including effects on the economy,” he added.
Dr Yii also advised the government to properly implement this MCO with clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) that are effectively communicated to the public to avoid confusions or inconvenience.
“If it is not properly implemented, it will not achieve its aim to curb the spread of the disease but will still take a toll on the economy of the area, especially affecting the poor including daily paid workers,” he opined. — DayakDaily
