MIRI – Sarawak longhouse chiefs have been urged to put their respective settlements under lockdown to stem the spread of Covid-19.
Under the state’s native laws, or “adat”, the community heads representing more than 6,000 longhouses can exercise their authority to mete out self-isolation measures without “having to wait for a state government directive”, Society for Rights of Indigenous People of Sarawak (SCRIPS) secretary-general Michael Jok told The Vibes.
“Do not wait until Covid-19 spreads into the longhouse area. Impose a lockdown now to stop outsiders from entering, and to stop longhouse residents from going out until the Covid-19 threat subsides.
“The situation is already worrying, as can be seen in the detection of Covid-19 cases in the remote districts of Kapit (central Sarawak) and Sri Aman (southern Sarawak).”
Two coronavirus cases have been detected in two longhouses – Rumah Sg Putong and Rumah Bui Pinjai – in the state’s south, triggering an immediate lockdown in both settlements.
The two longhouses are located in Sri Aman, about 200km north of Kuching.
State Disaster Management Committee chairman Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas said the two patients have been taken to Sarawak General Hospital for isolation and treatment, with the state Health Department tracing their close contacts.
“No one will be allowed to leave or enter these longhouses,” Uggah told the press.
The duo were among 14 new infections detected in Sarawak yesterday. – The Vibes, January 8, 2021
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