Uggah: Miri declared as green zone, Kuching only red zone

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Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas. – File photo

KUCHING: Miri has been declared a Green Zone as of yesterday after it had not recorded any new positive Covid-19 cases for the past two weeks.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas in his speech in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) this morning said Miri was the latest district to be declared green as of yesterday, joining 30 other green districts in the state.

Only Kuching remained in the red while eight in the yellow. The yellow districts were Samarahan, Tebedu, Lundu, Sibu, Bau, Serian, Bintulu and Limbang, he added.

He said the improvement in the state Covid-19 figures was credited to the strategies and measures taken by state government through the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to curb the spread and to break the chain of the virus.

He pointed out that as early as the first week of February, SDMC had made it compulsory for all travellers entering the State to fill in the Health Declaration Forms, now the E-Health Declaration Form, before the MCO began on March 18.

“On February 25, we banned foreigner entry to Sarawak, while Sarawakians coming from overseas are to undergo compulsory 14 days quarantine to prevent imported cases,” he said.

Uggah said it was also made mandatory for all Sarawakians returning from abroad, including from West Malaysia, Labuan and Sabah, to undergo compulsory quarantine for two weeks, and only recently the regulation has been loosen up for them to only be required to undergo home quarantine.

At the same time, he said, the authorities also also conduct screening of essential services personnel and non essential personnel with different protocols, introduced Stay Home Notices with the digital wristband for reporting to those who has undergone quarantine in Kuala Lumpur as an additional effort, and increase screening capacities by opening up screening centres and drive-through testing.

“We have also increased our testing capability by setting up our own polymerase chain reaction (PCR) labs in four main hospitals and Unimas City Campus from four days turnover result to two days,” he said.

SDMC also set up two Special Committee in charge of monitoring the distribution of food supplies to be distributed to Sarawakians in need, he said.

At the same time, four task forces were also set up to coordinate and map out the whole operation to curb Covid-19 in the state, he said.

Uggah said the task forces were led by health care professionals and were tasked to monitor, analyse, report and focus on active contact tracing exercises led by former Sarawak Health Director Dr Jamilah Hashim, preventing and controlling the next waves led by former Sarawak Health Director Datu Prof Dr Andrew Kiyu, Preparedness Plan for the Big Wave led by Minister of Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, and Real-time Analysis of Data on COVID-19 led by Dr Andrew.

“These strategies have allowed us to stagger and reduce the number of cases and plan for our next step,” he said.

Uggah pointed out that SDMC along with medical experts in the state have studied the situation in Sarawak using the six criteria set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) before lifting the MCO restrictions.

The first criteria is: the transmission of the disease is controlled; second is additional capacity in the healthcare system is in place; followed by isolating, treating and minimising the risk of outbreak in special settings like nursing homes; preventive measures at public places are in place; manage importation risks especially cross border infection; and engaging the communities to adjust to the new norm.

“After analysing our situation vis-à-vis the six criteria set by WHO, there is still much to be done. However we need to balance between society’s health and economic impact to the state.

“Therefore, SDMC has decided to allow economic activities to be open gradually beginning May 12, 2020,” he said.