MIRI – Sarawak has declared a full-scale movement control order (MCO) from May 29 to June 11 as the state logs a record high in daily Covid-19 cases and deaths.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Douglas Uggah Embas announced this as the state recorded nine Covid-19 deaths today.
“We have to make this decision in light of the surge in deaths and new infections daily. Today, we see nine more deaths plus 772 new infections. This is a record high of daily deaths and the second-highest number of daily infections in Sarawak.
“We have been continuously implementing the conditional MCO (CMCO) but the pandemic is getting worse, so we have no choice but to go for the full MCO,” he told a press conference at his Kuching office.
Uggah said the SOPs for the MCO will be released tomorrow.
He added that intensive care units and Covid-19 wards in hospitals in the state are struggling to cope with the volume of cases.
“We also have to push through our vaccination programme during this MCO to try to contain the infections. We appeal to the rakyat to cooperate.”
The nine deaths today take the state's death toll to 272.
The fatalities are a man aged 45 in Bintulu Hospital, three women aged 61, 81 and 91 in Sibu Hospital, a man aged 72 brought to Sibu Hospital dead, a man aged 32 brought to Miri Hospital dead, a woman aged 62 in Miri Hospital, a man in Kapit Hospital aged 66 and a man aged 72 in Sibu Hospital.
Of the 772 new infections today, Kuching district recorded 229 cases, followed by Miri (82), Sibu (70), Bintulu (67), Subis (52), Mukah (33) and Beluru (28), while other districts saw fewer than 20 cases each.
The Tg Bundong cluster in Samarahan is a new one with 22 infections today.
Uggah said federal minister Khairy Jamaluddin will be coming to Kuching tomorrow to look into the ongoing vaccination exercise and help Sarawak speed up its immunisation drive. – The Vibes, May 27, 2021
