MIRI – Sarawak authorities are considering a proposal to impose a mandatory 21-day enhanced movement control order (EMCO) at specific localities with Covid-19 outbreaks.
It is learnt that the 21-day EMCO will be an extension to the present 14-day EMCO currently in practice.
The extension is deemed necessary as the state is dealing with a high number of Covid-19 cases involving the Delta variant.
The Delta strain has an incubation period of at least three weeks.
Progressive Democratic Party president and Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had revealed the latest proposal via social media chats with his constituents.
Tiong was responding to queries on what the state authorities are doing to stem the rising tide of daily infections and deaths throughout the state, which has seen more than 3,000 new infections daily for the past week.
“To identify a Delta case, a 21-day lockdown is necessary,” Tiong said.
He said the high rate of new infections is mainly due to the Delta variant, which is highly transmissible.
Responding to netizens who asked why state authorities had failed to stop the Delta variant from taking root, Tiong said the reopening of many social and economic activities under Phase 3 of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) had resulted in heightened movement.
“We had opened too (many sectors) in Phase 3 and we are still reopening more all the time.
“This has resulted in more freedom of movement among the public.
“This situation is made worse when people violate vital SOPs, which is why there has been a swift increase in daily transmissions.
“Here in Bintulu, many of the new infections are affecting the very young, including 2-year-old toddlers,” he said.
Tiong also expressed his support for a strict extended lockdown in outbreak zones.
“We have no choice but to implement a total lockdown if we want to stop transmissions in specific locations, otherwise there will be no end to our infections,” he added.
Bintulu is among the districts in Sarawak seeing triple-digit increases in new Covid-19 cases.
Kuching is the worst-hit urban district, while other highly populated places like Sibu, Samarahan, Serian and Miri are also seeing the daily numbers increasing rapidly.
Sarawak currently has the highest number of Delta cases in the country.
As of mid-last month, Sarawak had detected more than 700 cases involving Delta and other variants of concern via random samplings carried out by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s research unit based in Kuching. – The Vibes, September 11, 2021
