Dr Annuar Rapaee
SIBU (March 3): Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee has urged residents of Sibujaya flat blocks affected by the extension of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) to stay calm and remain in their flat units.
He said the authorities needed their cooperation to stop the Covid-19 infection in Sibujaya and the whole of Sibu.
“I am asking the affected residents to calm down, follow the instructions and not to take improper action that can contribute to the failure in our fight against the pandemic.
“I have discussed with Sibu Divisional Health Officer Dr Teh Jo Hun that if we need to conduct the third screening, the process will take only two days to complete.
“If all of the residents are tested negative then there is no need for us to impose a lockdown on the targeted blocks,” he said during a Facebook live stream session last night.
Earlier, Dr Annuar said that he received information that some residents of the affected flat blocks might attempt to escape from their flat after the government decided to extend the EMCO for Town Villa residential area and flats in Sibujaya, specifically Blocks C, H, J, K, L, N and R, from 12.01am on March 5 to 11.59pm on March 11.
There are 20 blocks of flats in Sibujaya. The flats and Townvilla housing area had been under EMCO since Feb 12 due to a surge in Covid-19 cases in the two localities.
Dr Annuar said that the rapid spread of Covid-19 cases at the flats at an early stage of EMCO was due to density of population in the area.
“We imposed EMCO in the first place because we want to get everyone tested,” he added.
He also said it would be a bad decision if any of the flat residents decided to escape from their flat, as the authorities had the list of names, flat blocks and unit of those required to undergo the third swab test.
“Any of the residents who think the third swab test is unnecessary is wrong because if they are infected and left undetected, they can spread the virus to their relatives, friends and the members of the public and thus will cause another outbreak.
“Therefore we must ensure no more positive cases coming from the flats and this is why we need to take the next course of action.
“They might have fled the area if they failed to show up for their third screening,” he said.
He said Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) will explain the standard operating procedures (SOP) for the targeted lockdown later today.