By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, March 20: The Serian wet market has been closed since yesterday to avoid the spread of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) among the local populace.
Serian district officer Lim Hock Meng said the decision to close down the wet market was deemed necessary, as it is a major meeting place among the local consumers for their daily needs.
“It is a hub where people will buy their daily needs and it is normally crowded. The decision to close it down is in line with the Restricted Movement Order (RMO),” he told DayakDaily.
Lim, who is also Serian District Council chairman, said apart from the wet market, the pasar malam (night market) and pasar tani (agro-market) were also closed.
He assured that in order to meet the people’s daily needs, all supermarkets and convenient stores in Serian were allowed to remain opened and hygiene was strictly observed.
Political secretary to the chief minister Dr Simon Sinang Bada commended on the council’s decision to close the market. He said the closure of these premises was to avoid the transition of the virus from occurring in Serian.
“You just imagine if there is a single positive case of Covid-19 in Serian, it will create panic among the community,” he added.
He hoped the people in the division will abide by the RMO so as to try to minimise the spread of Covid-19. — DayakDaily
