S’wak to vaccinate those under hotel quarantine, EMCO before lifting movement restrictions

MIRI – The Sarawak government is planning to implement a policy requiring all who are currently being quarantined in hotels as well as those who live under the present enhanced movement control order (EMCO) to be vaccinated before they are allowed to move freely.

State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said the Disaster Management Committee (DMC) is set to make this policy mandatory.

Dr Sim, who is also advisor to the DMC, said that with this mandatory requirement, it is hoped that those presently under quarantine or lockdown in longhouses and hotels will not risk spreading the Covid-19 virus.

However, he did give a timeline on when the policy will be enforced state-wide.

In his tweet today, Dr Sim stated that a pilot trial of this initiative was implemented yesterday at Kg Sinar Budi Baru in Kuching.

“Vaccinating those eligible with MySejahtera on last nite of #PKPD/#EMCO at Kg Sinar Budi Baru, after 2nd Covid-19 PCR swab negative.

“Hopefully, this new approach (vaccinate before release from quarantine) will reduce the repeat and recurrence of cases within the local community,” he added.

Thousands in Sarawak are presently under quarantine and EMCO in hotels and longhouses during this ongoing pandemic.

Additionally, Dr Sim also announced that Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) public vaccination hall had carried out 358 vaccinations in less than four hours yesterday.

“The achievement is only possible because of the tremendous teamwork from the volunteers: doctors, nurses, Unimas, NGOs, and those staff on roster from Klinik Kesihatan Batu Kawa,” he added.

As of yesterday, a cumulative total of 721,653 in first doses and 188,852 in second doses have been administered in the state.

Sarawak is among the top three states worst-hit by Covid-19 with more than 390 deaths and 60,000 positive infections so far. – The Vibes, June 24, 2021