KUCHING, Oct 17: Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman believes Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) made the right decision to exempt fully vaccinated Sarawakians from needing to apply for EnterSarawak when returning to the State.
He is confident that the decision taken by SDMC has been scrutinised accordingly and also based on the views of public health experts in Sarawak.
“This is the right decision as we move into the endemic phase of Covid-19. This also shows the concern of the State government which is sensitive to the needs of its citizens.
“It is hoped that with the exemption of the EnterSarawak application, Sarawakians who have long been separated from their families, spouses and children will be able to reunite after the harrowing period of curbing Covid-19.
“Of course, as we move into the endemic phase, there is still a need for us to continue to practice measures to break the chain of Covid-19 infection.
“This does not mean all standard operating procedures (SOPs) previously implemented to curb Covid-19 transmission should be discarded,” he said in a press statement today.
Adding on, Fazzrudin who is also Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy youth chief thanked the State government and SDMC for the consideration in removing the need for fully vaccinated Sarawakians in other states coming back to Sarawak to apply through EnterSarawak.
He asserted that the role played by SDMC is crucial to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of Sarawak after more than a year battling with Covid-19.
In spite of that, Fazzrudin said Sarawak is still among the states that recorded the highest daily Covid-19 cases in Malaysia and 77.3 per cent of the new daily cases reported in Sarawak in October 2021 were adults who had been fully vaccinated.
As such, he believed Covid-19 infection can still occur and there is still a risk of death due to coronavirus among individuals who have been fully vaccinated.
Hence, he called on all Sarawakians who have returned to their hometown to continue practicing the SOPs recommended by the authorities to ensure that their families and friends are not being infected with Covid-19.
Fazzrudin also urged those who exhibit symptoms of Covid-19 during their stay in Sarawak to do a screening using the self-testing kit or undergo a swab test at the nearest health facility.
He said intervention measures such as wearing a face mask, physical distancing, use of hand sanitizers and maintaining personal hygience should continue to be practiced. — DayakDaily
