243 workers including the index case was found positive for Covid-19 from the Putai Cluster as of April 25. – Bernama file photo
KUCHING (April 28): The Baleh hydroelectric dam construction site is now under Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) for four weeks, announced Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) today.
The committee said the EMCO took effect on April 26, three days after the Putai Cluster was declared by the State Health Department, till May 24.
The cluster involved workers of a hydroelectric dam construction project at Putai, Ulu Baleh in the Bukit Mabong district.
The index case of the cluster is a local woman aged 39 who was tested for Covid-19 before returning to work at the construction site after spending a holiday at Kapit district. She was detected positive on April 18.
As of April 25, screening of the close contact of the index case and targeted screenings involving workers and staff members at the construction site had discovered another 242 positive cases and a total of 358 individuals had been screened.
Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar James Masing yesterday called out Sarawak Energy Berhad and its contractor, China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) Limited over the Putai Cluster.
“If by any chance some of those tested positive were illegal workers, then both SEB and CGGC must be made accountable and provide facilities for them to be quarantined on site under low risk quarantine centre,” he said in a press statement.
Masing said everyone must abide by the government’s instructions via the SDMC standard operating procedures (SOP), including SEB, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
On a related matter, SDMC also announced that the EMCO period has been extended at four longhouses.
The EMCO at these localities was supposed to end yesterday (April 27).
The four longhouses are namely Rh Japam, Sungai Lemayong in Bintangor, Rh Johnson in Sungai Rian, Jalan Pakan (also Bintangor), Rh Junis in Sungai Kelupu (also Bintangor) and Rh Bajak in Nanga Semawang (Julau).