By Adrian Lim
KUCHING, Jan 9: Teachers from Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah returning to Sarawak for the new academic school term which will begin on Jan 20 will be directed to undergo two weeks quarantine.
Minister for Local Government and Housing Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said no home quarantine will be allowed and the teachers will need to be quarantined at quarantine centres.
“We have been in discussion with the Education Ministry in the past few days on the school reopening.
“As an immediate measure, we will solve the issue of 4,000 teachers from Peninsular Malaysia and their family members returning to Sarawak.
“A lot of them will be returning to Sarawak on Jan 17 and 18.
“We will continue with the policy of quarantine for 14 days,” he said during a live session on Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng’s Facebook entitled ‘Shall Wee Talk? today.
Dr Sim was responding to questions on the concern by parents in view of the reopening of schools this year.
On college students from Sarawak who will be studying in Peninsular Malaysia, Dr Sim urged them not to rush into flying to Peninsular Malaysia for public health and safety.
He said with the Covid-19 situation there, the Movement Control Order (MCO) might have to be reimplemented.
Dr Sim who is also the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) advisor said the committee is monitoring the Covid-19 situation in Peninsular Malaysia and was in discussion with the Education Ministry on the next course of action.
He believed if MCO were to be declared in some of the states, students will be under restricted movement and be quarantined.
He added that the state government was also in discussion with the Education Ministry on the next course of action if the Covid-19 situation in Sarawak worsens.
Dr Sim said in principle, if a location is declared a red zone of Covid-19, the schools will be ordered to close.
On another note, Wee said the council will integrate the information of the Qmunity app with the MySejahtera app.
He added the information from the Qmunity app in particular a detailed location visited by Covid-19 cases will be published to the public.
On the allegation that there was no privacy on the data from Qmunity app, Wee said,” If one’s life is under threat, what’s the point of keeping the data and information private,” he replied.
Wee said there are some changes being made to the Qmunity app which will also display the location and places visited by Covid-19 patients. — DayakDaily
