MIRI – Students staying in boarding quarters in schools, varsities and training institutions throughout Sarawak are banned from leaving their hostel-grounds until further notice.
The state Disaster Management Committee announced this latest curb, as Sarawak recorded another Covid-19 death plus 600 new infections today.
Committee chairman Datuk Dougglas Uggah Embas said the movement curb is necessary.
“All those boarders cannot leave their hostels or their schools or colleges,” he said.
“They must stay put. They are not allowed to go back to their hometowns.”
“This must be obeyed strictly,” he told a press conference at his office in Kuching.
There are thousands of students in rural schools and colleges who stay and live in their hostels located far away from their homes.
Uggah also said that the state will also probe why the Covid-19 vaccines had failed to arrive in Sibu today for the Phase 2 vaccinations.
“There are claims that people in some other places hijacked our vaccine,” he said.
“I have asked the federal ministries to explain,” he said.
He said that the death of a 74-year old man in Sarikei Hospital due to the virus takes the total death toll in the state since the pandemic began to 141, he said.
Expressing condolences to the family of the deceased, he said there are three new clusters today, along with the 600 new positive cases.
These clusters involved dozens of people in longhouses and in market places.
Bintulu district recorded 110 new positive infections today, while Sibu saw 98, Kuching 83, Meradong 54, Kapit 41, Tatau 38, Sarikei 23, Miri 24, Song 20, Serian 10 and numerous other districts had less than 10 new cases each.
The three new clusters are the Pasar Ikan Sebiew cluster in Bintulu, Sg Rian cluster in Selangau district and Kg Tengah cluster in Betong district.
Uggah once more urged the people of Sarawak to strictly obey all standard operating procedures to help halt the spread of infections. – The Vibes, April 20, 2021
