DBKU director Dr Morshidi Ahmad said the cancellation of the bazaars was in view of the high risk of close contacts which may result in the likelihood of the spread of Covid-19 infections. – File photo
KUCHING (April 7): Both the Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Kuching South City Council (MBKS) have called off their Ramadan bazaars for this year due to the current Covid-19 situation in the state.
DBKU director Dr Morshidi Ahmad said the cancellation of the bazaars in Satok, Semarak, and Sukma Ria was in view of the high risk of close contact, which may result in the spread of Covid-19 infection.
“This can thus hamper the government’s efforts to eradicate the epidemic completely,” he said in a statement today.
Morshidi said it is everyone’s responsibility to help the government curb the spread of Covid-19 by complying with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and directives under the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
Similarly, MBKS has cancelled its traditional annual Ramadan bazaar at the parking lots near Stutong Community Market.
In a statement, the Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said MBKS decided to take precautionary measures to avoid huge crowds and the possibility of the spread of Covid-19.
“We would like to apologise to the vendors who had shown interest (in setting up stalls at the bazaar). I think now is not the time to have these bazaars when the daily Covid-19 cases are quite high. We will try to do it next year,” he said in a brief WhatsApp message.
He said the council is supporting the government’s efforts to control Covid-19 cases in the state and that it is the joint responsibility of all to comply with the SOPs and directives under this CMCO period.
Last month, the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) announced that Ramadan bazaars would be allowed to operate from April 12 to May 12 under strict adherence to SOPs.
However, it said premises holding Ramadan bazaars are required to obtain approval from their respective Divisional Disaster Management Committees and that all workers and operators of the bazaars must undergo the Covid-19 rt-PCR swab test and produce a negative result before they are allowed to operate.
Sarawak has recorded the highest numbers of Covid-19 cases in the country lately with 385 cases registered yesterday.