By Karen Bong
SIBU, Jan 28: Whatever rumours and misinformation spread amid the Covid-19 outbreak in Sibu, which is currently under Movement Control Order (MCO), the key message is “that it is imperative that everyone should comply with the message to stay at home” or face the possibility of further extension of MCO.
Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairman Clarence Ting highlighted this in responding to rumours that police were checking on vehicles with more than one person but which Sibu police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit has clarified that it was not true as the two-person-in-car restriction is still valid under MCO standard operating procedure (SOP).
“But whatever it is, we are now under MCO so people should not go around and about but to stay at home as much as possible and only go out for essentials and necessities.
“We must resolve and stay at home until this outbreak can be controlled and contained,” he told DayakDaily when contacted today.
Ting warned that if the Covid-19 cases cannot be reduced under the MCO period, there is the possibility that the State government will further extend the order even after Feb 14.
“It is up to all of us in Sibu to follow the SOP strictly and stay at home because only then we can flatten the curve and overcome this so that we can move out of MCO and go back to our daily lives in a safe environment,” he advised.
On the second extension of MCO which will last until Feb 14 as announced by the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) yesterday (Jan 27), he said it was needed and the majority of people in Sibu were already prepared for it given the high number of Covid-19 cases still being recorded.
“You can see that very few people are protesting about it. Looking at the situation, the majority of people already know deep inside their hearts that MCO could be extended.
“The extension also raised the awareness on how serious is the Covid-19 situation we are currently facing,” he added.
While MCO has been extended in Sibu, SDMC also announced that Conditional MCO in the rest of Sarawak will also be extended until Feb 14. -DayakDaily
