Uggah delivering his address. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KOTA SAMARAHAN (Feb 17): Sarawakians are urged not to be complacent but continue complying with the Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) despite the state having entered Phase 4 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP).
In making this call today, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said with the Omicron variant now in Sarawak, everyone should play their part to curb the spread of the virus.
“Sarawak recorded 307 new Covid-19 cases yesterday and today, there are 278 new cases. The Covid-19 Omicron variant is still among us.
“We must continue to adhere to the SOPs to break the chain of Covid-19 infection,” he said at the 25th Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Convocation held at DeTAR Putra Unimas here.
Uggah, who is also Unimas pro-chancellor, said the Sarawak government will carry on with its various initiatives to enhance service delivery for all Sarawakians.
To reduce the impact brought about by the pandemic, he said the state government had launched Bantuan Khas Sarawakku Sayang (BKSS) financial aid packages 1.0 to 8.0 amounting to RM5.7 billion to reach out to the various communities across Sarawak.
He believed that the Sarawak government will continue its initiatives and plans to further develop the state.
He said Unimas, having existed in Sarawak for three decades, will play a complementary role in transforming Sarawak into a developed state to achieve high income economy by 2030.
“To combat Covid-19 pandemic, the state government had collaborated with Unimas and other government agencies in setting up the Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre last year,” pointed out Uggah.
He said the RM190 million centre will focus on developing the latest treatment to curb the spread of any infectious disease.
“My appreciation goes to researchers of Unimas who have contributed tirelessly towards the country in the fight against Covid-19,” he added.