Dr Annuar Rapaee
SIBU (March 25): Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee (SDDMC) coordinator Dr Annuar Rapaee has urged cemetery associations here to monitor families observing Qing Ming festival at cemeteries to ensure that they strictly comply with the State Disaster Management Committee’s (SDMC) Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Dr Annuar, who is Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing, said strict compliance with the SOP such as making available MySejahtera QR code for family members to register their ‘location check-ins’ and maintain a manual record of visitors is necessary to facilitate contact tracing in the event if there is a positive Covid-19 case later on.
“As SDMC has already given green light for Qing Ming Festival, where family members must adhere strictly to the SOP, the respective association of cemetery must take the responsibility to prepare MySejahtera for family members to register their ‘location check-ins’ or maintain a manual record of visitors.
“My suggestion is that if they do not have MySejahtera or manual record, at the very least, they (associations) should prepare a Google form so that those coming to visit the graves, can easily register themselves on the associations’ Google form.
“I believe there is no need for each and every member of the family register, but only the head of each family. In that way, SDDMC can always contact the head of family to check who were with them during the visit if there is a positive Covid-19 case later,” he told The Borneo Post.
The Nangka assemblyman made this call after learning that certain cemetery associations here did not encourage family members to visit the graves during Qing Ming Festival as they were reluctant to take the responsibility.
Reminding the people to be mindful that the previous outbreak of clusters here were due to social gathering and funeral, Dr Annuar said it is equally important to ensure there is no overcrowding at the cemeteries during Qing Ming Festival.
In this regard, he urged the respective association to engage the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) or volunteers to ensure there is a proper crowd control.
“I am confident that if everyone follow the SOP, there will no outbreak from this occasion, though previous outbreak in clusters were due to social gathering and funeral
“I would also like once again to urge the cemetery associations here to take full responsible for those who come to the cemeteries during Qing Ming Festival,” he said.
Meanwhile, SDMC has allowed up to eight members of a family to go to graves and only two at columbariums or memorial halls for Qing Ming from March 20 to April 14.
The SOP drawn up by the state’s Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) and released March 17, said no inter-zone travel was permitted for those observing Qing Ming.
The visiting time at the cemeteries have been fixed at 4am to noon and at columbariums or memorial halls at 8am to 4pm.