By Karen Bong and Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Jan 5: Information of places visited by Covid-19 positive cases including time and date will be revealed and released starting tomorrow (Jan 6) in efforts to facilitate contact tracing and encourage the public to go for screening.
State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas informed that this decision was reached following a lengthy discussion among stakeholders.
“We have discussed in length on this matter. Until now, we have only revealed the general information of places where positive cases had been detected without giving the dates and times of the identified places cases have visited.
“We noted that the information revealed will be sensitive but we also learned from the practice of Singapore.
“With this new effort, we hope members of the public will give their cooperation in that when they learn that they have been to these identified places to be announced, they will go for screening. That is the purpose,” he told a press conference on Covid-19 update today.
Uggah, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, revealed that this effort comes into effect tomorrow (Jan 6) in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH) and Sarawak Health Department.
Meanwhile, State Health Department director Dr Chin Zin Hing explained that Health Ministry will get the MySejahtera app to send messages to alert those who have checked-in to places visited by positive cases to undergo Covid-19 screening at the nearest clinic.
He also reminded that identified contacts must undergo screening twice for reliability and accuracy of test results.
“However, not all people will check-in using MySejahtera as some might use other apps or write down manually.
“Those who have gone for screening also need to inform the nearest health office so they can contact you and advice you what to do next.
“With facts of positive cases in hand, they know what’s your risk of contacting (Covid-19) and whether you need to be isolated, quarantined or have a repeated test done.
“First test result negative does not mean anything and you are not safe yet. If you are not careful, you could be infectious and going around happily,” he said of the risk of spreading the virus in community.
Dr Chin also reminded the public to observe the standard operating procedures (SOP) issued by the Health Ministry at all times.
Meanwhile, the MLGH will also issue the gazette for Covid-19 restrictions, which has expired, to extend the order from Jan 1 until March 31, 2021 under Protection of Public Health (Measure on carrying out of activities and movement of person within infected local areas (No.3) Order, 2021 under Protection of Public Health Ordinance, 1999. — DayakDaily
