SIBU, Aug 27: Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) will make a decision soon on whether to ban dine-in at eateries following a surge in Covid-19 cases.
There were 125 Covid-19 cases reported on Aug 25 and 161 yesterday, up from two-digit cases previously.
As the State entered Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan except the Southern Region, dine-in was allowed again two weeks ago.
SDDMC coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee, in his Facebook Livestream last night, said SDDMC would have to respond swiftly on whether dine-in at eateries should be continued as the Covid-19 situation had worsened.
“Soon we will have to decide on it as many people have also requested us to re-evaluate it. Whatever it is, we need to follow the SOP because when cases go up, SDMC will be blamed,” he said.
He recalled that two weeks’ ago, he had advised residents not to go out if they had nothing necessary to do.
“I had also said if you are going out, protect yourself by wearing a double mask or face shield and to wash your hands regularly,” said the Nangka assemblyman.
With the surge in cases, he said SDDMC together with their counterparts in the Northern Region had agreed that outsiders will need to do a swab test first before entering.
“We have proposed to SDMC together with the committees from the Northern Region that outsiders wanting to enter our place will have to do swab test first and the result to be made known to us so as to prevent import cases from happening,” he said.
Taking an example, he said the town had reported import cases from elsewhere these few days which include Bintangor, Asajaya, Song and Selangau.
Dr Annuar also wanted employers to refrain from hiring illegal foreign workers as they are known to have transmitted the disease.
“We should say no to illegal foreign workers as there are many implications as far as health is concerned. We are giving them vaccine out of humanitarian reason but most of them are still without vaccine,” he asserted.
Meanwhile he urged residents to report to SDDMC if they know of anybody not adhering to the SOP which includes involvement in large group gatherings.
SDDMC hotline number is 013-999418. — DayakDaily
