Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas at a recent Covid-19 press conference in Kuching.
KUCHING (Mar 1): A gathering for a cockfighting session is expected to contribute as many as 50 cases to Sarawak’s Covid-19 tally, an exasperated State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas revealed today.
Taking Sarawakians to task over their complacency with the government’s standard operating procedures (SOP) in the war against the pandemic, he said their insistence to continue holding social gatherings and travel unnecessarily had led to the current surge in Covid-19 cases in the state.
“It is not reported yet for today. One longhouse in my constituency, I was told by a doctor, 50 people were positive after a cockfight. That is why we keep on appealing to the people to comply with the SOP,” the Bukit Saban assemblyman told a press conference.
He did not explain why the cases were not included in SDMC’s Covid-19 situation report today, but the committee had previously said its daily report is based on figures that have been verified at noon the day it is released.
Uggah, who is a deputy chief minister, said many Sarawakians also failed to comply with SOPs during social gatherings, while some were even found to have travelled out of a Covid-19 red zone just to have drinks at pubs in another zone
“Previously, we were in a much better situation with many green zones. But now, the number of cases is in the three digits and this is alarming.
“We have banned social gatherings, and yet people still go out and visit each other during the recent Chinese New Year, meet for barbeque sessions at each other’s houses and gather for cockfighting.
“The cluster from this cockfighting will grow to be a big cluster. So are the clusters reported in the last few weeks which started from funerals, weddings and gambling sessions. Such social activities usually involve movement from the red zone to other zones such as from Kapit to Betong and Sibu to Bintulu.
“We were also told that some even travelled from Sibu to Bintulu just to go to the pub, and this is among the things that saddened us,” said Uggah, who is also Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman.
As such, Uggah again called on Sarawakians to comply with the SOPs such as wearing face masks and observing physical distancing in crowded places or even at workplaces, as well as other do’s and don’ts stated under the SOP.
“We appeal and keep on appealing to Sarawakians. Value your life, value your health, comply with the SOP not because you are scared of being fined or arrested by police, but to keep yourself safe. But still some people are not afraid,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uggah said 33 compounds were issued by the police today against those who found not complying with the SOP.
Sixteen of those compounds were issued in Miri, 13 in Kuching and four in Padawan, he added.