KUCHING: Sarawak is on red alert of those returning to the state after the Sabah state election, says Deputy Chief Minister I and State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) chairman, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said Sabah was now a red zone for Covid-19 with an alarming number of new cases while Sarawak had recorded zero cases in the last few days.
“Yesterday, we sent some 500 policemen from the state to Sabah to assist their counterparts while there will be voters going there to cast their votes, as well as local senior politicians going there to campaign.
“Recent reports have indicated that those returning from Sabah had tested positive for (Covid-19) ,” he said at a ceremony to honour 33 Public Works Department (PWD) retirees and staff nearing retirement in Betong, about 250 km from here, today.
Looking at that situation, he said Sarawakians could not consider themselves to be spared from the Covid-19 spread and SDMC had set a number of new requirements for those returning from Sabah.
“We have to form a protective shield around Sarawak against another possible outbreak and this will be inconvenient or difficult for those concerned, but everyone must comply with the Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs),” he said.
On another issue, Uggah said a number of development projects had been affected by the Movement Control Order because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“People would have blamed us politicians for any delay under normal circumstances but they understand the situation and I must thank the PWD for earnestly continuing from where they had stopped (the projects affected by the Movement Control Order), for instance, in Betong Division.
“The Betong PWD teams have risen to the occasion, repairing roads and bridges affected by the recent heavy rain, flood and landslides,” he added. -Bernama
