MIRI – Recently discovered Covid-19 strains, including the infectious Delta variant, are still evolving in Sarawak, warned a state minister.
State Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian said these variants of the coronavirus are still in its early stages of spreading in the state and could mutate further.
Speaking to reporters after attending an event at the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching yesterday, he said the variants are still new to Sarawak.
“They are in the early stages of transmission and are still evolving.
“That is why we have to keep a very close watch and enhance and tighten our SOPs (standard operating procedures) accordingly to deal with Covid-19 and its variants as they evolve,” he said.
Dr Sim, who is also advisor to the state Disaster Management Committee, said it is not practical to stop all flights into Sarawak.
“We cannot cut off from the outside world totally.
“Total lockdown is not viable anymore as Covid-19 is here to stay,” he said.
Bilangan kes positif #COVID19 dengan VOC dan VOI hasil penjujukan genom setakat 22 Julai.
— KKMalaysia?? (@KKMPutrajaya) July 24, 2021
Penjujukan genom dapat mengesan lokaliti asal varian dan kawasan penularannya sekali gus membolehkan tindakan awal diambil bagi membendung virus terbabit. pic.twitter.com/rpmp9y2Z0R
Miri MP Dr Michael Teo Yu Keng yesterday said the Sarawak government needed to press the panic button immediately, as latest Health Ministry figures show Sarawak with 152 cases of mutated variants as of July 22, with 93 cases coming from the Delta variant.
Dr Teo, who is also PKR vice-president, said that Sarawak is the top state in the country in terms of number of Covid-19 variants of concern and variants of interest.
“Close our borders now, and get ready for more local transmission of these variants,” he had told The Vibes.
Dr Teo said the latest figures from the Health Ministry shows Sarawak way ahead of Selangor in second place.
“We are most fearful about the Delta variant, and shockingly, Sarawak has the most number of Delta cases, much higher than even Selangor.
He said that the only defence Sarawak has for now are Covid-19 vaccines, but claimed that immunisation in Europe and Israel was not really effective in stopping the spread of the Delta variant.
“The Delta variant cases in Europe and Israel have surged.
“We are seeing a similar pattern in Sarawak now,” he said.
Only three weeks ago, he pointed out that the number of Delta variant cases in Sarawak stood at 17.
“Now there are 93 Delta cases in Sarawak (as of Thursday).
“Sarawak must close its borders now. Stop all incoming people from land, sea and air.
“And get ready for medicines such as Ivermectin,” he added.
The latest figure from the Health Ministry shows that as of July 22, Sarawak has 93 cases of Delta, 92 of which involve Malaysian citizens and one involving a non-citizen.
Sarawak has so far confirmed 44 Malaysian citizens and one non-citizen testing positive for the Beta variant, while 13 Malaysian citizens tested positive for the Theta variant and one non-citizen tested positive for the Eta variant.
Selangor in second place has detected 74 cases involving variants of concern, with 17 of these being the Delta strain. – The Vibes, July 24, 2021
