By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Feb 24: The Covid-19 infection waves in Sarawak have been caused by super spreader events.
Borneo Medical Centre (BMC) board of management chairman Dr John Chew observed that most of the high number of Covid-19 cases in Sarawak were derived from festival events.
“All our so-called waves of infections have been associated with super spreader events.
“During our festivals, our weddings in churches and worship places and in funerals.
“These are cases that we have to strictly apply our standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that the cases will not spread,” he said today during a webinar organised by the Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) entitled Covid-19 vaccination and the impact on Sarawak business.
Therefore, Dr Chew said the community had a collective responsibility to ensure that those events were not being organised publicly.
He also said the community has a responsibility to know and understand how Covid-19 spread.
At the same time, Sarawak Tourism Federation (STF) president Audry Wan Illok also concurred with Dr Chew that festivities events have caused the surge in Covid-19 cases in Sarawak.
On the topic of opening up the state’s border after vaccination, Dr Chew proposed that Sarawak can establish a Covid-19 testing regime for vaccinated individuals who want to enter Sarawak.
In view of the asymptomatic cases of Covid-19, he said the state still needs to conduct more testing for the coronavirus.
These include getting a health risk assessment test for an individual such as travelling history, personality and so on.
Among those who joined the webinar include Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian, SBF deputy president Datuk Philip Ting, Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneur Chambers (DUBS) chairman Datu Abang Helmi Ikhwan and Sarawak Economic Planning Unit director Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel. —DayakDaily
