Dr Annuar giving a breakdown on the rising number of cases in Sibu Division.
SIBU (Feb 24): The Sibu Division Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) is proposing a possible lockdown in Tiong Hua Zone and Sentosa Zone to tackle the rising number of Covid-19 cases there, according to SDDMC coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee.
He said SDDMC would hold a meeting tonight and an announcement would be made tomorrow.
“I will have a meeting with the Resident and the rest of the committee tonight and we will draw up a proposal. An announcement will be made tomorrow,” he said during his daily Facebook live stream on Covid-19 situation updates in Sibu today.
He said out of the 181 positive cases reported in Sibu today, 85 were reported in Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) area, 50 cases in Sibu Jaya and 46 cases reported in Sibu Rural District Area (SRDC).
Dr Annuar, who is also Nangka assemblyman, said under SMC’s area, Tiong Hua Zone and Sentosa Zone reported 19 cases each.
Other places in SMC area that showed an increase in the number of cases include Farley Zone, with nine cases and Kiew Nang, with seven cases.
For Sibujaya, 38 cases alone were detected at the flat currently under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO), while Town Villa recorded six cases and the rest are scattered around the resident areas and commercial centres.
For SRDC area, Bawang Assan recorded 34 cases from a longhouse today, with three cases in Pasai, two cases in Durin, four cases in KJD/Assan and three cases in Batang Igan.
He said there are many reasons why the number of cases was high, and one of it was the large number of tests being conducted
“We in Sibu worked very hard to make sure that every case can be detected, we do not want even one to be left out,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the vaccine, he said he urged all leaders to lead by example in accepting the Covid-19 vaccine as a sign of encouragement to members of the public.
He said the vaccine was the only solution in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have no other way to fight, we need to make sure that it will not spread, and make sure that the hospitals can cope and the only way we can really ensure that is through the vaccine,” he said.
He said there was still much confusion and fear regarding the safety of the vaccine. He said although the vaccine was produced faster compared to other vaccines in the past, there was no cutting of corners.
“The concept or the technology behind the vaccine was already there long time ago. Normally, if we need to come out with a vaccine, we need cases, right now, there are cases everywhere, so there is no difficulties in trying to get cases.
“Moreover, the company that produced these vaccines received assistance from their respective government and the advancement of the technology also made it possible,” he said.
He said the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which arrived in the state today, is the same vaccine that the government in the United States and United Kingdom had begun distributing earlier this year.